December Already? The Rush and the Reflection
If you’re anything like me, you’re in something of a state of disbelief that today is 1st December! Where has the year gone?!
The Pressure of the “Perfect” Christmas
December is a funny month. There are still 31 days of the year left, and you can still achieve a lot in that time. It’s also the month where we turn to reflection – what have we achieved this year? And it’s when thoughts turn to the new year – what are our hopes and goals for the year ahead? Add to this actually getting through the month – the social events, do we have all the presents we need? What about food? It can be a difficult time if you’ve been bereaved or are estranged and there’s seemingly so much pressure on us to have the ‘perfect’ Christmas. What even is that?
Letting Go of Expectations (Including the Tree Skirt!)
I’d intended decorating my home over the weekend. I got the decorations down from the loft, but there are a few glaring omissions (the tree skirt I spent months knitting a few years ago isn’t where I thought it was. And therefore isn’t now under the tree). The floor of my lounge currently resembles something of an explosion of red and gold as I ran out of energy to actually put anything up. But that’s OK, because it’s not a race and I’ll do it over the next few days.
Looking Back at 2025 — And Ahead to 2026
And what about the next four weeks? How will I spend them? I’ll do some reflecting on what I’ve achieved in 2025 (a lot, when I think about it), I’ll think about what I’d like to do in 2026. In December’s podcast (released this Friday), my guest is April J Harris, who talks about having a word of the year, as well as coming up with 26 things to do in 2026 and I love that idea!
Balancing Plans, Self-Care, and Joy This Month
I’m going away for the new year, so I’ll finalise plans and also make sure I listen to my body – I’m starting reformer pilates this week, which my body will thank me for (I hope!). I’ll also let me hair down a bit and enjoy this time of year – the pretty lights, the hot wine, and take time to just be. When everything around me is so fast-paced, I’ll make sure I enjoy the moment. I love Christmas and I’m not wishing the festive season away.