I thought that sharing my word of the year in April last year was a one off. It seems not. But even more than that it seems that 28 April is becoming my day for it - exactly one year ago I wrote a post about Irony and priorities, and here I am one year later still living by that.
Partly the delay this year was planned and circumstance, and you’ll understand why as you read on. Another part is focus elsewhere - work, house and more - but anyway, here we are again. The plan for this year was to evolve, and explore where next. Things have potentially changed somewhat since the start of the year, but it will still be a year to evolve and grow.
And before I explain more, how calming is that picture? It’s part of a mindful colouring book and is a trailing vine, which of course would always be completed using pinks, oranges and yellows…
Anyway, evolve.
Yes - my plan for this year was to slowly evolve and learn what I wanted to do. Towards the end of last year we took a major life decision and decided that it was time that we would - and were fortunate enough to be able to - stop working, taking the (very) early break from work (aka retirement) that we’d planned and hoped for, but weren’t really sure would happen quite as planned. So with a three month notice period, much earlier in the year I handed in my notice (electronically) at work. I finish working full time in a week or so, and that’s both scary and exciting.
Our plan was always to spend some time living and enjoying life in London. But like many people the pandemic has brought a rethink, and you’ll already know that our house is on the market, following our offer on a property in Leicestershire being accepted. There is still a very long way to go, especially as I firmly believe the house purchasing system in the UK is broken, so I’m trying not to mentally move in, just yet. It’s hard though!
MOH is also planning to finish work this year, though he’s contracting so there is more flexibility there - I needed to plan it more, and I wanted to give my organisation notice, as that seemed fair. It’s a decision that as I said before has taken a while to get to, and is often met with incredulity - we’re not old enough surely? (we are) and then admiration. We know we’re fortunate - I’m clear it’s not luck that has got us here, it’s good fortune - and we know not everyone will be able to do the same.
My short term plan is to take some time to relax and refocus, and evolve how I spend my time. Though our May will be busy with my brother’s Covid-affected wedding finally planned to take place (third time lucky and all that), a holiday in Northumberland added on to the end of that, so I think it won’t be until June that I’ll really have time to start working it all out.
I know that I do want to spend more time on all those crafts I should have been doing during the pandemic. I’ve plenty of half-started projects, and plenty more that I want to start. I’ve some gardening plans which include finishing the area in front of our pizza oven, and definitely plans to eat more home made pizzas! And of course if we do manage to move then that will take up some time - let alone clearing out what we no longer need, some of which has already been earmarked for those auction sites, and I’m sure there will be much more besides.
So, exciting but also scary times, but bring it on.
