As Big Ben chimes midnight and the new year enters, typically, people are focusing on new beginnings and reflecting on what they’d like to be different for the ensuing year. If you’re one of those people and would like to share your 2023 goals, we’d love to hear from you.

If you’re one of those people for whom 2022 raced by rather fast, and didn’t end up being quite the joyous liberation from Covid-related confines you’d expected/longed for, well, we’d love to hear from you too – and we’ve penned this blog with you in mind.

It struck this Philosopher-in-Residence that so much of new year narrative centres on what you feel you should be. With the theme of 2022 being trying to fit in everything you used to do, along with the new ways of life the pandemic brought with it, has anyone actually had time or headspace to have a little think about what’s important and, crucially, if the things you are doing bear any relation to what’s important to you?

For this first blog of 2023, I’m imploring a back-to-basics approach. See this as a truly blank canvas, and not more of the same plus extra self-shaming for not doing more and being less.

Set yourself super-simple challenges, and enjoy achieving those rather than grasping at what society suggests might be of utility. Here are some starters for ten (well, five actually).

1. Resolve to look forward to at least one thing tomorrow.
2. Set a goal to be extra friendly in at least one email, phone call or text message this week.
3. Pick out a favourite item of clothing from your wardrobe and write down the happy memories you have of wearing it.
4. Indulge in a slightly late new year’s message to take the opportunity to catch up with someone you haven’t been in touch with for a while.
5. Write down some self-care ideas that only take 5 or 10 minutes each. Fold them up and pop into a tub/pot/jar and pledge to pick one out and practice at least once a week in January.

And there we have it! Let me know how it goes – and be sure to feel positive rather than slipping into old habits thinking you should be doing more.

Next fortnight I’ll be musing On Comfort – don’t forget to set yourself a calendar reminder to get comfortable and settle down with a brew to read it.

Please get in touch with any particular aspects of this subject you’d like me to write about.

In the meantime,

Happy Planning