Why I am doing a December reset

My ‘new year’ always tends to start in September. This is because it fits in with the academic year but also because I love new stationery and I love autumn.

As an obsessive professional “journaller” and writer I can pretty much always justify the investment in any amount of lovely new notebooks, but the autumn term provides extra reasons for adding to my collection!

With this in mind I can confirm that I did make my ‘new term’ resolutions on September 1 and generally things are going pretty well-my book is out soon and that was my big goal. And yes-I bought more notebooks because I intend to keep going and keep making progress.

The danger at this time of year, as we hurtle towards the festive season, is that we start to blame the forthcoming festivities on lack of progress and tell ourselves that we will start again on January 1.

So we give up, and blame Christmas. And then we convince ourselves that January is the best time for making new plans and we will definitely “smash it” next year.

The big problem with that is the very fact that January is the middle of winter. I am always tired in January. The last thing I really want to do is to resolve to do anything that is going to make my life harder.

This is the time of year for hibernation, rest and reflection. Nature has totally grasped this concept, but we seem to think we have a non-negotiable obligation to throw ourselves headlong into a period of what can only be described as post-Christmas punishment.

I have never really understood why so many people DO start such punishing regimes on January 1. At a time of the year when we really should be resting and taking care of ourselves why on earth would you take on a new gym membership or strict diet? (Mind you I fail to see the appeal of either at any time of year to be honest) Your body and mind are crying out for nuture, chocolate and comfy socks not quinoa salad and spin classes.

I am also becoming increasingly weary of hearing people declare they are “smashing” it-smashing what exactly? And why at this time of year would anyone want to expend massive amounts of energy on meaningless things that we will instantly disregard because we are so exhausted by the time we achieve them, that we have totally forgotten why we started whatever it was in the first place?

A bit of hibernation and self-care will do more good for you in January, than wearing yourself out even more because we all overdo it during Christmas and we all need a rest in January.

So, I heartily recommend a December 1 reset instead. Yes, I know it’s a busy time for many of us but surely taking time to journal every day and write how you are feeling about your goals and progress is worth it if you can then then start the festive season feeling positive and organised?

It can be a very hectic time so by carving out just a few minutes every day to sit, plan, be grateful and reflect will really help your mindset, mental health and physical health too. It will help you deal brilliantly with feelings of overwhelm, guilt, regret and anxiety which all appear at this time of year for so many of us.

Instead of being a slave to festive planning and preparations which frequently results in feelings of resentment and exhaustion, use December to pause, reset and reflect. Write down your plans for 2020, look at how far you have come and be grateful for all you have that is good in your life.

For so many people this time of year is really challenging. It is a good time to stop and think and journal about how you would like your life to be next year and to really think about all the good stuff you have going on.

If you would like some help to get started then keep an eye out over the next couple of weeks for news about my new book The Life Edit-it’s the perfect way to start December and make plans for 2020 so you can have a rest in January.