Gently entering a New Year
I think, I may have finally cracked relaxing. I am nudging 40 and the only time I can say I have truly felt relaxed is when I have flown to some far flung destination and spent time by a pool and in the kind of warmth its hard not to relax in.
I have also never understood people who say they ‘Love Winter’ but actually may be these folk have mastered the art of wintering, slowing down in the colder, darker months.
In the days since Christmas I have intentionally slowed down, accepted that I needed to this and enjoyed quieter days. Spending time in front of the fire, crocheting and reacquainting myself with my love of making bread and baking.
Smallholding/flower farm life can be all consuming, there is always a job that could be done and never enough hours in the day and with that space visible from your home there is a temptation to always be cracking on with something. But after an exceptionally full year with 2 jobs and pretty much working 7 days a week I knew I needed to slow down this winter and do some things that would be restorative. I also needed to practice what I preach, currently I have a job off the farm where I support leaders who run charities and I am forever ever telling them to ‘look to nature, we wouldn’t expect a magnolia to be in flower all year long’
And with this rest and step back from the grind culture I have created space in my head to think!
The quiet and rest has allowed me to have clarity in what I hope 2025 will hold for not just the farm but also me. The slower approach has stopped me mad rushing to start seeds that I have not got the space for, nor the opmtimum conditions for them to thrive.
Its also allowed me to pick to words to guide me through this year that will help steer me through all that I hope to achieve. These words for 2025 are:
Abundance and Courage
These words are in lieu of setting any resolutions, things that I often feel set me up for failure and will guide me across some big next steps for me personally and professionally as I hope to step into new spaces that will stretch me.
By giving myself the permission to rest I have also created space for me to think. And that in turn has allowed me to see that these words are an important prompt and less than a week into 2025 I have made my first courageous decision for the farm that I hope will contribute to it being an abundant year.
My hope for you is that there is a word or two that you can use to gently guide you through your year and if you need a person to hold you accountable to that please drop me an email and I will do just that!
Happy New Year Folks
Hattie xx