we shouldn't be resolving anything just yet.

We're five whole days into 2025, I wonder how many folk have delayed their new year's resolution until Monday or already given up on them.

Whilst I've done a bit of a new year reset I haven't made resolutions yet. It's still the middle of winter and finally here in the UK we got some winter appropriate weather, this is not the time of year to be bursting forth with new energy and changes, it's still dark the majority of the day, it's cold(ISH), wet and encourages huddling up on the sofa or beside the fire not dashing out to crush goals.

Nature doesnt work to a calender it works seasonally, and whilst we like to tell ourselves that we have conquered nature, or perhaps have been conditioned to always be productive and generating more “stuff” this time of year other than evergreens, nature is resting, storing it's energy and building upto waking when the weather improves.

Out ancestors would not have been out anymore than necessary, choosing to gaze into the warm fire, reflect on the past seasons, craft and prepare items for the new spring and generally engaging in community and hibernation.

Perhaps we too should be doing so?

Or maybe we should consider doing this as much as possible even if work and life commitments prevent us from doing so totally.

Instead of setting step count targets, abstaining from habits (unless they're unhealthy in which case should we really wait until January 1st to quit them?) or dieting in a way not conducive with the weather when we physically crave comfort food to add padding to keep us warm.

Maybe we should use this time to keep a healthy, sensible but cosier approach?

Using winter to examine where we are, where we are coming from and where we wish to move in the next season of growth and energetic output

Preparing for the coming season would give us more time to prepare, rather than attempting to go from the celebration of winter festivals to a Spartan or monastic attitude in the space of a week. When one week we were being pushed to eat drink and be merry, feasting on rich and decadent foods to the next where we are effectively guilt tripped into “new year new me” abstiance and self flagellation, calorie counting and moving against nature.

For now I think I shall just have another mince pie or slice of stollen and use my journal to dive deeper into my intentions for the coming year without pushing myself hard. If all other animals are still hibernating I feel I can be a little gentle on myself past a healthy level of self discipline.