A new year pickle – #045-046

and I’m not talking kimchi…

Firstly, if I’m not too late, Happy New Year – I hope 2025 brings you all you hope, plan and wish for.

The run up to Christmas is a funny time isn’t it. Life seems to speed up as we cram all those things we said we’d do, or people we promised to meet before the year fades…

At some undetermined point this supercharged life slows, undone tasks and chores get kicked into the New Year to be replaced by festivities, planning and parties. ‘Normal life’ grinds to a hiatus. Some get celebratory. Some get miserable. Perhaps we all get a little reflective before being ricocheted into the New Year.

Pickles

Since mid-December I’ve been bombarded by well-meaning Old Year/New Year reflections, hints, tips, exercises, reviews, audits and prompts. I’ve been urged to break or form habits. Challenged to plan and achieve with methods for prioritising, blocking and focussing on ‘the’ one thing. I have been encouraged to identify Radiators and Drains - with more of the former and less of the latter. Not to mention diets and detoxes. Or forecasts and predictions. What’s In and What’s Out and what’s my ‘word’ for 2025.

Which can leave me, that person who no longer has the structure or discipline of a formal role, feeling a little outside, in a pickle and a bit at sea.

Preserved in my memory

I am conscious that another year has passed.

It was a year of travel. 60^th celebrations. Culinary delights. Theatre excellence.¹ Time spent with loved ones. Friendship. Walking. Cycling. Cold sea dipping. Tough choices. Learnings.² Reading.³ Film.⁴ Reflection. Coaching. A little Mcing.

With not enough live music, cooking ( will that ever be my thing?), hosting or dancing.

I observed friends suffer with illness, loss and work pressures.

I had distant friends die.

I cheered as friends got promoted or achieved their dream job after months of searching.

I started 1000Weeks, posting my first blog from the other side of the world on my 60^th birthday. And I continued the search for my ‘thing’ – the thing that gets me out of bed and makes me a contributing member of society.

I watched myself get older. And of course all those around me; a beautiful reminder of the brilliance and lottery of life.

What’s fermenting

When I view my year against the five pillars of Wellbeing:

• Purpose/meaning

• Social

• Community

• Health and

• Money

I’d say I scored pretty well in most areas with room for improvement in a couple. But hey, in the words of the immortal David Bowie, it was a Golden Year.⁵ A year for which I am extremely grateful.

I am excited for 2025. I have theatre, travel and home improvements planned. And I have ideas for 1000Weeks that I’m looking forward to exploring and sharing with you.

Oh, and as you asked, my word for 2025 is Move. Move – such a small word yet many meanings and connotations – Move - my body, my mood, my physical location, my routine, my thinking - just take some bloody action!

Share your gherkins

How about you, how would you score your 2024 against the five pillars of wellbeing? What reflection or review exercises get you reaching for your favourite pen and notebook?⁶ What excites you for 2025? What’s causing you concern? And what’s your word for 2025? Get in touch, let’s have a chat, let’s support each other into this quarter century.

Until next week my friends

Ruth x

Before you go…if you enjoy 1000Weeks please do leave me a comment, a ❤️, subscribe or share my musings with someone you think may enjoy my words. Your support and comments really do make my day and keeps me writing. Thank you!

1. Theatre stand outs - Oedipus with the amazing Lesley Manville and The Fear of 13 with the sublime Adrien Brody

2. Learning stand out - The Thinking Environment course by the delightful Becca Timmins

3. Reading stand outs - A Little Life by Hanya Yangihara ; Still Life by Sarah Winman and The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd

4. Film stand outs - All of Us Strangers with the handsome Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal and The Room Next Door with the awesome due of Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore

5. OK, that was a cheap shoe-in but any opportunity to get David Bowie into a blog can’t be bad can it?

6. Or Remarkable ;-)

Thanks for the pickle photo by Steph Greene on Unsplash