Hibernating Until Spring...

Hello friends, and a belated Happy New Year to you. I hope the festive season treated you with kindness. Winter is upon us once again and while you know that I live for the cosy life, I do sometimes envy those that work in warm offices during the day while it's cold and rainy outside. I don't mind the cold and the rain so much, but the endless mud on my walks does eventually get me down. And so, this winter finds me doing something I have been meaning to do for a very long time. I'm slowing down to rest.

Month after month I have talked about trying to live more seasonally and my search for the perfect work-life balance is seemingly endless but this year I have finally given myself permission to stop.

It comes after finally achieving the biggest and longest-held goal of mine; I finally bought my first home. Regular readers will know that this journey began last year and I am thrilled to tell you that Watson and I moved into our new home one week before Christmas. Having wanted this for so long, I was scared that finally reaching this milestone would leave me feeling lost and directionless, but it hasn't. The opposite has happened. For the first time on a long time I feel truly grounded and certain of where I'm meant to be. Buying this house has given me the permission to slow down that I have so often struggled to give myself. I have been guilty in the past of moving straight onto new goals the moment I reach what I have set out to achieve, without stopping to celebrate what I have done and I didn't want that for this milestone. I have wanted this for years and now that I am finally here, I fully intend to slow down and savour it.

And so, for the first time since starting my business seven years ago, I am not setting any goals for this year. This year, I will not be growing my business, I will not be setting targets or trying to achieve anything other than keeping everything as is. I will not be getting up early in the mornings to work on my plans, nor will I be doing any work once I am home after my days walks. My Fridays and my weekends will be entirely my own and already when people are asking me what my plans are for 2025, I am revelling in telling them "nothing". I have made it to my own personal finish line and I am setting up camp here for a while.

This winter I shall rest.

When Spring rolls around, I plan on returning to regular blogging as it is something that I love, but for now, I am well and truly in hibernation... and if you can, I encourage you to do the same. Join me in defiance of hustle culture, lay down your tools and take off your armour.

I will see you in Spring, when the weather is warmer and the days are longer 🖤

© Alena Ozerova via canva.com