Ending 2021 gently

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Hello everyone!

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I took on a new role at the end of the Summer so I didn’t have much time to write, but Season 3 of the Out of Hours podcast is now getting ready and it will be out in late January 2022 (sign up on Spotify or Apple to make sure you don’t miss the first episodes).

I’ve also been reflecting a bit on the end of this year and wanted to share a few self-reflection exercises I do and how I tend to think about this period, in case it’s useful.

Firstly, optimise for relaxation, not productivity over the break

It’s very easy to go into the Christmas and new year period, when many of us are lucky to be able to take time off, and end up in the same productivity trap: applying the same rules as before (think: exercise, early mornings, work productivity) and the same guilt for not adhering to them. Try to give yourself grace in this period. What are you rushing around for? What would happen if you relaxed a bit? For those who find it difficult, remember that rest actually makes you more productive. But also ask yourself: ‘why does it matter so much to my sense of self to be productive?’

2022: Intentions instead of goals

Jen Atkin, the founder of Ouai, offers some great prompts for the new year. She suggests writing one action for each of the categories: quit, learn, try, have, start, continue to, stop, will be. This means writing “I will quit…” or “I will be…” or “I will try…” and finishing the sentences.

These are nice prompts to circumvent the challenge of writing quantifiable ‘goals’. We’re still in a pandemic after all, and for many people everything feels a bit uncertain so it can help to keep it simple. After all, as we posted on Instagram earlier, ‘success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success’ - so why not focus on yourself before you focus on what you’ll achieve.

Ask yourself: what is one thing that deep down I’d love to do but I’m too scared to try?

This doesn’t need to be a big thing like ‘become a X’ or ‘achieve X’ - it could be a forgotten hobby, or something you’re a bit embarrassed about like dance lessons or language lessons. Learning something new or trying something new doesn’t mean you need to be good right away: ask yourself - ‘what would I love to try?’ and then ask yourself ‘what’s stopped me trying it so far?’

Do an energy audit on the year gone by

Tim Ferris, author, podcaster and investor, prefers to look at the year gone by. He goes through his entire calendar and reviews whether the things he did make him feel energised or drained - and uses those insights to help select activities for the year ahead. You could also try this by looking at your bank statements: what did you spend money on? Did those things make you feel good, or did it feel like a waste?

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How do you goal set? Do you reflect on the year gone by, like Tim Ferris does, or do you look to the year ahead? Let me know if you use anything that works well for you, and I can share with the Out of Hours readers.

Here’s hoping we all have a good, brave 2022!

Georgia