Happy twixmas!
Tis the season to be dreamy – in our house, at least. I love that dead time between Christmas and New Year when all the shopping, wrapping and cooking is done. When the family subsists on Christmas chocolates and leftovers foraged from the fridge, and there’s nothing to do and no one we need to see.
For me, it’s a time for reading, journalling, catching up on films and sleep and most of all, day-dreaming. If the weather isn’t too grim, there will be a long walk at some point. But doing nothing at all feels like a perfectly good option.
We all have fallow periods.
Even if it’s not winter in your part of the world, there are times when it’s better to rest and replenish than to push on through. We all have creative dips when we need to rest, read, explore, look at new things. To sow seeds that will eventually sprout new ideas—then patiently wait for them to germinate.
As Katherine May says in her beautiful book Wintering, “Doing those deeply unfashionable things—slowing down, letting your spare time expand, getting enough sleep, resting—is a radical act now, but it is essential.”
2023 hasn’t been the best year, for many of us.
Even if you’ve prospered, it’s hard seeing so many others struggle. Many of us are still readjusting, mentally and financially, from the pandemic lockdowns. As for the global news.. you don’t need me to tell you it’s been devastating.
But even on a year like this, I think it’s still important to count your wins, and practice gratitude. To take stock of what you’ve created, projects you’ve progressed, personal achievements. There’s always more than you think!
It’s a good time for reflection.
A quiet hour or two writing in a journal can be a good use of the Twixmas lull, for many of us.
Once you’ve celebrated all you’ve achieved, take stock of where you are right now. In your career and business for sure, but also your health, wealth, your relationships, your environment – all aspects of your life.
I like to give each area of my life a mark out of 10, then if it’s not a ten, ask myself what I might do in the next 12 months to bring each score up a point or two.
Then you might want to plan the year ahead.
If you want to follow the full process I use, it’s all in Your Next Year, a 44-page workbook that you can download and print out to use year after year.
It’s designed to help you assess the year just gone, take stock of where you are now – and make a sustainable plan for the next 12 months without setting punishing goals then feeling guilty if you abandon them before January is done.
I’m going to be honest.
I’m always low on energy this time of year. And January is often my busiest month, with lots of exciting new coaching clients. For me, it’s not best time for a major reset.
I’ve long since given up on New Year’s resolutions, and I mostly review my year and make plans for the next 12 months at the end of March.
It’s my birthday then, the start of the financial year in the UK, and more importantly, it’s the start of spring, when my energy tends to soar and I’m suddenly full of new ideas.
We’re all wired differently.
And it’s important to respect your own rhythms and cycles, rather than feeling constricted by the calendar. Or by what works for other people.
If this is a good time for a fresh start, go for it! If it’s not, set a better time and perhaps just make a sustainable 90-day plan to see you gently through the first three months of 2024.
Everything has its season. And this is my season for rest and reflection. Whatever you choose to do, enjoy it. And have a great Twixtmas.
What do you think?