Twixmas Thinking

A considerate pause, reflect & plan, whilst reclining and eating

Do you love or hate this time of year?

I don’t think I used to enjoy it when I was a child. A bit boring, too cold to really play much outside, unlike the summer holidays, nothing open, and only family walks to entertain.

I wonder whether my parents were thinking like I am right now; what am I doing? what did I love about this year? What am I looking forward to in to 2025? What am I dropping? What I am developing?

I’m not much of a fan of resolutions, especially at New Year. There can’t be a worse time than in deep dark winter, after enjoying the richness of Christmas, to then deny oneself. I prefer to do that around the Spring Equinox, when the days tip over to being longer than the nights and doing challenging things seems a lot easier.

Instead, I take a consider view over these few days to think about the year gone and the year to come.

I like to map out what special dates or plans I already have made, on a planner. I think about the projects I want to concentrate on.

I think about the goals I want to set myself.

A big part of that is noticing things -

What is hard for me to do?

When I am happiest?

What am I doing that is working for me?

What am I doing that isn’t good for me but I keep doing it?

What is so important to me that it’s non negotiable?

What makes me feel jealous of others?

What am I scared to want?

For example,

What is hard for me to do?

One thing is making time for things I want to do. Unless it’s a fixed time and place, it doesn’t happen. So one of my goals this year is to make the things I want to do, but aren’t appointments, into dates. I will add those to my diary along with the other meetings / classes / consultations and make the others into appointments with myself.

‘What makes me feel jealous of others’ is a sure fire to expose what’s really important to you. What is it that you feel jealous about? Or irritated or annoyed? Is it that they are doing the thing that you want to do? Or they have an attribute that you want to cultivate? A style or a talent or job? These give you great insights into what matters to you at the moment. In the Artists Way, Julia Cameron says “Perversely, jealousy strips us of our will to act when action is the key to our freedom.”

When am I the happiest?

I started noting them down. It’s not the big expensive things of course.

• Kayaking down the river on a sunny day

• Being in the throng of a crowd at a live gig

• Cycle ride

• Being driven

• Lying in a hammock

• Cooking

• Chatting by a fire

It’s so obvious, but part of my thinking at this time is to review these things and schedule time doing them.

If it’s really important, or big, then I think about the end goal and break it down into steps, or smaller goals. Having a few days to think about this without pressures of deadlines is clarifying.

It could be;

• Booking a big trip

• Saving an amount of money

• Completing a project

By now, I usually have a couple of these in mind for the year coming.

In 2025, I have something I want to save towards and a couple of big projects I want to complete.

Looking at the whole year ahead, it feels easier to choose a finish line, a date to have done the projects or saved the money. Then working backwards, break up the steps, say ‘£1,000 per month’, ‘send to 10 people’ or ‘finish part 1 by February’ or whatever the step is. One bite at a time.

Planing and organising really calms me, so long as I have the time available to me. Thinking about what I want to achieve, experience and do this year means I will also have to think about what I don’t do. What I am prepared to sacrifice and not do or have this year.

The two really important things for me are French & Yoga. I am terrible at languages. I find it so hard! However I have a French partner, French in laws and a half French daughter. I have taken lessons for a year but I’ve only got past avoir. I’m locking in (as my eldest would say).

And after some terrible few months of covid and simply being below par, I know my body is weak. Walking, gardening, simply being active and my zach exercises are not enough. I know I feel strongest and balanced in every way when I have been practising yoga.

So. I’m choosing French lessons & yoga, which means I still can’t do that pottery course¹. I will make a note for 2026 and review that this time next year. I might have something else more important by then that I want to do again instead.

I forget how much I adore being in the gardens and in a weird penance way I don’t prioritise that, thinking it’s a treat. It is a treat, but it’s also essential to my work.

My weeks are notoriously difficult to plan ahead, but;

1. Saving up (see #2)

2. The (3) big projects

3. Yoga & French study

4. Actual gardening

are the essential non negotiables, and each week, it is going to be easier to ensure those happen, space is made for them, then everything else fits around that, if there is space left. I can’t do it all but I can make sure I do what I want to.

What is on your list?

Do you use this time to plan?

What are your dreams for 2025?

Please drop me a ❤️ if you liked this! It makes such a difference.

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Next month, my how to plan your flower crops for 2025 course begins.

Is growing cut flowers on your list this year?

The course breaks down planning your flower crops, be it in a small garden or right up to a larger scale for selling. Why are you growing? What do you want to grow and when do you want to cut it?

No more gaps in plantings, cutting the same thing for several weeks and then nothing whilst you wait for the next crop to bud.

The course start on Monday 27th January, and finishes right in time to start sowing for 2025 success. Read more and sign up here

If you are interested in the course, the first 5 sign ups will get a free 1 hour coaching or consultation call throw in (worth £125)

Anna x

1. I booked this one for my maternity leave in 2019. My partner did it instead!