12 months, or 13 miles?
Thank you for bearing with me whilst I figure out my next steps. I don't have all the answers yet for what I want out of this year, writing-wise (or other-wise, let's be honest) but there's no rush - let's see why.
You may remember that one of the reasons I love Taylor Swift is that she's not afraid to change with the times. Each album seems to sit within a different genre of music: country, folk, pop, indie. Some may accuse her of forgetting her country roots, but to me (and others I hope) it is clear that as she goes through the world, she changes and her music reflects this.
You may at this time of the year be feeling the pressure to change; to in some way be “better” or make this year “better” than the last. Apparently this is the most common time of year for people to ask for a divorce: our 12 months round the sun starts again and we suddenly want to start anew ourselves, tip our worlds upside down and start again with a blank canvas.
There is a tacitly accepted fly-tipping rule in Brighton that allows the second-hand sharing of whatever semi-useful piece of furniture you might leave by the bins. Over my time, I've managed to nab my neighbours' clotheshorse when they moved out and some nice plant pots; Mark found some lovely vintage-looking wooden chairs. (We won't mention the pogo sticks he excitedly found on our recent dog walk that I promptly encouraged him to put back at the next bin stop.) Anyway, my point is that it's a busy time of year for the leaving-of-things-outside-bins, as we all want to shed the old and unused parts of ourselves and sigh happily in that big new space where the Christmas tree stood.
No matter how much we might remind ourselves not to pile the pressure on this time of year, I don't think we can avoid it as a natural time for reflection and goal-setting. Perhaps in the cold January air we find clarity of thought and a heightened sense of what we want from ourselves this year.
My granny's words came to me a few days ago as I was on a longer training run for the Brighton Half in March (click here to sponsor me and donate to Tommy's!). Shameless plug aside, her words are relevant as much on a long run as in January: pace, prioritise and plan. “Always heed the three Ps!” she used to say.
And it struck me then, as I ran along the undercliff path out of Brighton, that we could approach the new year much like we do a half marathon. Across our 12 months or 13 miles, we must learn to pace ourselves. The experts always advise you run the second half of the run faster than the first half, or rather, the first half slower than the second. And most important is that you don't start off too fast: you warm up into those first miles until you're feeling comfortable. You check your watch and keep the pace gentle; you leave something in the tank so that you can finish the run with confidence and with a smile.
We warm up with the seasons and perhaps only really reach a comfortable pace we can start to lean into in those early summer months. For now, the cold shrinks our muscles and we must take the time to warm up.
My point is, let's not rush. Let's not run the first half of this race like the proverbial horse that sprints straight out of the gate. This year is our half-marathon, and it needs us to pace ourselves. We can choose to identify our priorities for the year, and then we can plan it out. As with a running race we might ask ourselves: how do we want to feel when we finish? Burnt out, under-fuelled and wishing we never had to run again? Or confident, hopeful, smiling?
Mindful moment: Don't be in a rush to change up your whole lives: from the declutters to the divorces, we will not perform better if we pile on the pressure now. Give yourself the space to make graceful, pace-ful changes that reflect how you want to feel by the close of 2025 in 12 months' time. Follow the arc of the year through from these cold winter months, to the fullness of summer, the new school term in September and the heady rush of the Christmas season. You have time. Pace yourself.
Love, Laura
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I'm Laura, a yoga teacher and NHS doctor. With this weekly newsletter I aim to help you incorporate mindful moments into your week. I want you to feel inspired, empowered and creative. I promise to always be authentic; to only include content that speaks to me and which, therefore, I hope will do the same for you.
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