I started knitting when my first child was born, lucky to be patiently taught by a lovely older lady in a local shop.

It was super fun to make cute, small things and I found it creative and relaxing.

Over time it became less fun. As my children got bigger so did the projects, and then (when no one wanted to wear my knitting anymore!) I thought I should challenge myself with 4 needle socks in the round…

I haven’t knitted since - I took something I wanted to do and I set too big, too hard a goal. I took the joy and the sense of creativity and achievement out of it.

Until now. One ball of wool + the simplest, easiest pattern they had in the shop. Starting with something I want to do and can do :-)

It’s also how I’m approaching this year.

When I was little, I used to love to eat chocolate biscuits from the outside in.

I would nibble around the edges and work my way to the middle. It was fun to take it in sections and break it down into its component parts, rather than crunching through the whole thing.

It’s still my favourite approach for most things!

Have you ever tried to create the perfect habit… and ended up never getting started?

For a long time I wanted to add some strength training back into my life.

I know it’s important, I feel better when I do it, it feels good to feel stronger.

And yet for a long time I didn’t do it.

And then felt bad about not doing it.

And still didn’t do it.

I never thought I’d be a person who wrote Morning Pages.

I had always heard about people doing them and thought it wasn’t for me. 3 pages of A4 felt an awful lot, and I didn’t think I had the time.

Even after I bought The Artist’s Way it sat on my bookshelf for at least 2 years. Committing to the whole 12 week plan felt overwhelming.

And yet….

Since September 22nd last year, I’ve filled 7 note books with my (pretty illegible) handwriting.

Every morning for the last 369 days I’ve woken up, opened my notebook, and emptied my head.

Sometimes it’s simply a list of things I’m doing that day, and what I want to remember.

Sometimes there’s a thought in my head that needs to come up.

Some days I’m full of inspiration, other days I write about what the dog is doing at the end of the bed.

And now I can’t imagine missing a day.

I recently spent the weekend on retreat. A hugely restorative 48 hours in a beautiful place with the perfect mix of rest and activity.

As it came towards the end there was a focus on what we wanted to take home with us.

What to add into our regular lives that would help us hold onto some of the magical feeling.

One thing to say yes to for ourselves.

A super useful exercise, as when you can’t take it all, it can be easy not to take anything, to simply return to normal life.

To think that, because you can’t recreate the whole experience, then doing nothing is the only option.