Big

I wrote last year about how my plan was to use the year to evolve and adapt to leaving full-time work and embrace a more leisurely pace of life. And on the whole I have, though it’s taken a while and plans have changed a little along the way. Not everything happened as we’d hoped - the summer was far too hot, and the ground too baked to really set about any kind of landscaping work, and we’ve not moved house. But evolve was a good word, and one that had enough flexibility to bend to the circumstances the year brought.

I’ll most likely talk about our house move in another post, we’re still hoping it will happen though we’re not sure when, or exactly to where. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster that’s for sure, and one that picks up speed of its own free will at times, as these things do. I’m not sure when I’ll update you on the thrills and spills yet, as there’s some pondering to be done - and some of it is still raw. But I’m hopeful that things will work out.

Once again I’m setting a word for the year, and this year it’s a simple one. Big. Or perhaps that should be BIG.

Like last year its one that will flex, and most likely challenge us. But as MOH said to me on New Year’s Eve 2023 has the potential to be our biggest year yet, and he could be right. We’ve already made some big decisions house-wise this year, they haven’t all come off so far, but it’s still only March.

In other news MOH is finishing work next month, slightly later than his revised date but he’s ready. The problem with working remotely and contracting is that he doesn’t take proper holidays, and when he does he’s still more often than not at home. He’ll have his own adjustments to make I’m sure, but it will be good to be able to spend time together during the day getting out and about. We will both want, and need, time on our own but I know that walks and house/garden visits are much more fun in company than alone.

And who knows we might even manage a proper holiday later in the year. I still can’t believe we haven’t been abroad since February 2020 and before the pandemic, so that in itself will be pretty big!

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

And if you’re wondering about my choice of image, well it reminds me that sometimes we need to think beyond what we first thought, and try things we might not have considered before. Something I think it’s likely we’ll need to remember at times this year.

Evolve

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.

Irony and priorities

The irony of the timing and my choice of word aren’t lost on me, but as there’s no time like now to refocus and create new habits I’m going with it. I’ve posted here before about choosing a word for the year. It’s something I meant to do this year but never had the time to contemplate in ways I had previously - usually I post this in January, heck one year I even managed December, but here we are scraping in just before the end of April.

Irony isn’t my word for 2021, it is in fact priorities

And yes, I know if I was living my word then this post would have already been posted, but that’s exactly why it is the right word for me, and why I’m posting it now. With some time to think and structure those thoughts (a little) it seemed an obvious word to choose.

Like many people my pandemic-filled year has been pretty full on and busy with my day job, which I was fortunate to be able to continue to do from home. It’s usually a busy role and with Covid it stepped up several gears. Even after recruiting a team of two to work with me it’s still busy, and while I know I’ll never reach the end of my to do list (I’m at peace with that - I’ve realised over many years that there will always be more to do) it doesn’t really look as if it will be dialling down any time soon. So throughout the various lockdowns and whatnots I’ve been mildly annoyed with media suggesting that lockdowns have meant more free time, learning new skills and full of banana bread making and sourdough baking - even though I’ve made plenty of those during the past year, and will more than likely continue to.

I’ve realised that when I’m at work (even at home) I’m fully immersed, and when I’m not working and spending time at home I’m fully immersed there too. Something had to give and as you may know it’s been this space, and that’s not how I want it to be. I’ve been powered in both environments by “just one more thing” - so maybe I’m not totally at peace with not getting everything done, at work and at home, but not here.

But I’ve also realised that I can choose.

Choice - not a contender for my word, but could have been now I think about it - is in my gift, and so are sticking to my priorities, which I know may flex and adapt as life changes and flexes. I’m still working through what it means for me, and how I put that into practice but as Gretchen Ruben says in Better than Before:

Nothing is more exhausting than the task that’s never started, and strangely, starting is often far harder than continuing.

Reading is one of the things I’m doing more of too, and yoga. If I’m honest, I’m better at reading than yoga but I’m sure like most things, with practice, I’ll improve and be slightly less wobbly. That works for my word too, doesn’t it?

So here’s to feeling less torn in so many directions, or at least I hope that’s what it means - and to prioritising the things that are important to me, which realistically could be getting a piece of work out the (virtual) door, or even closing my laptop so that life outside work can take its time as my priority.

I’d say wish me luck, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to need more than luck to make the changes I want.

Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash