January - A Time for Reflection
Happy January! Please get yourself a cup of tea, or a big glass of water if your night was a big one, have a seat and take a nice big breath. The holidays are now in the rear view mirror, but their sparkle is probably still all over your floor. And that is totally okay! We are prodded this time of year to quickly turn our attention to our goals, resolutions, or our "Word of the Year" when we still have wrapping paper to recycle. It is hard to ignore the battle cry of the perfect Pinterest re-fresh, or worse yet, the push to purchase new organization products to ensure you have your "best year ever".
January has become for me a month for reflection rather than a month of doing. After the holidays, I need to catch my breath and take some time to absorb and process the memory of it. Here are some ways I like to honor the first month of the year and all that happened leading up to it.
1. Write Your Thank You Notes
Hand -writing real notes of gratitude on real pieces of paper is a special art. Not only does it brighten the day of the person who took the time and money to get you a gift or do something nice for you, but it helps you get in touch with your gratitude. And having gratitude makes us happier and nicer people, right? And if you really dislike writing thank you's, then by all means send an email or a text. While you are at it, teach your kids (if you have them) to write thank you notes as well.
2. Set Up Your Calendar
Treat yourself to a real paper calendar (they have inexpensive not-ugly ones at Target, or get fancy and buy a nice artsy one from your favorite stationery shop) and set it up for the year with all the important dates you know you need to keep track of. Then put it in your digital calendar as well. This will put you on track for feeling like you have yourself TOGETHER , which lowers overall stress.
3. Put Your Stuff Away
There is a lot of jumbling that happens over the holidays, in addition to the arrival of many new things. I don't know about you, but I tend to shove things in random spots as I rush around trying to get stuff done, and this kind of shoving of stuff is how I fake having a clean house in December. I am always shocked by my own behavior. Why are the scissors and tape in my nightstand? Why is there a load of laundry in the front hall closet? Just take a moment to open things up and put things back where they belong.
4. Put Away Your Decorations, But First...
Hold it. Do not put your decorations away yet. Now for you minimalists out there, you might have skipped over this because the one foraged pine bough you had on your table is already in the compost bin. Good for you. For the rest of us, I am thinking there is a bit more to have a conversation about. So before you put away your decor, go pull out all the boxes and bins or bags you still have things hiding in that you did not use this year. Open it all up. Don't like that elf grinning up at you? There is probably a reason he did not make it to the shelf. Don't like the color of those candles for your menorah? My guess is you won't next year either. Make a donation pile of all the things you did not use this year and know you won't again in the future (my guess is you won't miss it) and make some space in your storage areas. Now, take down the rest of your holiday decor and tell it a hearty thank you and ONLY pack away the things you delighted in this year, not the creepy Santa you feel you "have to put out" because your mother-in-law gave it to you. That can go to the Donate pile. And make a note to not buy more decorations next year, as you already have all you need.
And now, back to another cup of tea and your journal. If you do or you don't celebrate the holidays, how was your November and December? What went well? What made you smile? What would you change next year? In what ways did you feel connected to your loved ones, to yourself, and to the spirit of the season? I encourage you to take a moment in your January to process all that happened in the past two months, as it is indeed such a special time of year. Take this moment before getting swept up on the resolution highway.