small steps into the new year

habit swaps and finding rest in productivity

With the end of one year and the start of the next, comes a flurry of retrospective posts on blogs and Facebook and insta. It was interesting to me, as we wrapped up the third year of pandemic life, a year where denial and downplaying seemed the order of the day, that there was a theme through a great majority of the posts I read. Normally, these posts are a highlight reel of all the good things of the year, but so very many of the 2023 wrap seemed to have a recurring theme - what a hard year it was.

The collective exhaustion driven my the relentlessness of the roaring 20s really seemed to hit home last year for so many of us, and I’m including myself in that number. 2023 felt hard in a way I didn’t expect, so it was nice to know I wasn’t alone.

Homeschooling with older kids, I’ve found, has lots of little pockets of downtimes. in the early days of lockdown 1.0, we were all getting a lot done each day. I was the master of making the most of those snippets. I would get up early, go for a walk, and then dive head first into the day schooling and making and living our best lockdown life in amongst all the doomscrolling. Why then, in late 2023, was I feeling so flat and unmotivated? By the end of the year, we were dragging ourselves to the finish line with a distinct lack of interest and enthusiasm. If I could bring my A game in lockdown, why couldn’t I as life returned to whatever passes for normal these days?

We kicked off another school year this week, and I made a conscious choice to examine what worked well with those days, and what didn’t work last year. I started the day with a walk. I prioritised plopping a project bag on my desk, before starting to pull textbooks and lesson plans. Last year the crafting was an after thought, and instead the downtime was wasted staring into space or scrolling instagram. This year, I’m making sure I have something on hand before I start so I have no excuse.

And guess what? It worked. Monday was one of the best days we’ve had in a long time, even being longer and busier than usual, as first days tend to be. Interestingly, I missed my walk on Tuesday, and it was a lot harder to keep myself focused and on track. Maybe there’s something to be said for those endorphins? It’s a good reminder though, that filling my cup first makes everyone’s day easier. That small habits like moving my body and moving my hands are an excellent way to calm my brain. Somewhere along the way, I feel into the trap of thinking hard is hard and I can’t do anything aside from struggle through and moan about it and wait for it to fix itself.

I get asked quite a bit how I manage to get so much crafting done, and the answer is, I’m a much more grounded person if my hands are busy. If my hands are busy, it is so much easier to focus and be engaged and available for homeschool questions. For me, “being lazy” and not working on a project is actually the harder option. If I get out and move my body, I won’t feel as sluggish. My word of the year is IMMERSE, and this week has been a lesson to IMMERSE myself in good habits that lift me up. Maybe next I’ll even swap my third coffee for a bottle of water…

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ON THE CRAFT TABLE THIS WEEK

one// Quiltmas is finally getting wrapped up, with the quilt top coming together over the long weekend just gone. I have thoughts on my experience with the mystery quilt along that I think needs a whole post of its own.
two// one of my goals for this year is to get more into sketch booking. I have an art series planned for this year (more on that in future ‘stacks), and I jumped into my sketchbook to start playing with colour and layers to warm up for the first piece I want to work on.
three// I saw this adorable pinch purse tutorial on insta, and it grabbed my attention straight away. It’s a great project I could baste and then pop in my bag so I have a simple handwork option on hand for those unexpected wait times, and once it’s done, it can in turn be a handbag emergency supplies purse.

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OTHER NON CRAFTY FUN THIS WEEK

one// I was honoured to be asked to create a cake by a friend, who’s baby was celebrating his first birthday and naming day at the beginning of the month. I remain three million percent obsessed with this soft rainbow colour palette that she chosen and feel the need to bake and decorate all the things now!
two// accidental composition - I wandered over to the garden the weekend before last, with a pit stop to collect a hoop that had been packed away with the Christmas decos. on my way back, I looked down at my handful of hoop and flowers and herbs, and was struck by the accidental, emphermal, minimalist hoop “wreath” I was holding.
three// the children have started back at homeschool groups and I found myself killing time in a village of 1100 people. It was good to force myself to slow down, and I spent time reading, working on projects and planning school over a pot of tea and some people watching (and chatting to the locals).

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OF NOTE THIS WEEK

one little word// my word of the year is IMMERSE. I’ve written a post on what I hope that looks like in 2024, as well as a post on CULTIVATE in 2023.

dry January// the habit changes keep coming! I've been participating in Dry January (that I actually started on December 28), partly as a new years habit reset and detox, and partly as a fundraiser for breast cancer research (if you would like the link to my donations page, shoot me a message!). Let this be a reminder to check yourself regularly, and speak to your doctor about any changes - and no you aren’t too young. I’m 41 and have two school friends (of a graduating class of 80) who’ve had breast cancer in the last five years.

swapsie changie// since I’ve been dry, but still like a Saturday arvo bevvie with a book on the deck, I’ve been experimenting with mocktails. This passionfruit punch is my current fave (tied with passionfruit mojito - can you sense a theme here?). It’s been a fun creative challenge to come up with drinks that still feel like a grown up treat but let me go to bed with a clear head.

new year new fun// are you stuck in a rut of “I’m not arty?” - I know I’m a shocker for applying the disclaimer “I’m crafty not arty” to my own work! I love this post and gentle prompts from

Louise Tilbrook

that I saved a while back. Check it out for some encouragement and an easy starting place to begin journaling or notebooking.

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What is January looking like for you? And 2024, what adventures does it hold? I’d love to know what habit swaps you are carrying into the year ahead! xRach