Have you ever made plans to write, and you really truly sincerely did mean it in the moment, but then... stuff came up and you ended up not writing at all?
Household chores, work stuff, family stuff, friend stuff, other obligations, other hobbies, this or that. All of a sudden, it's Sunday again and you're making the same - really truly sincerely meant - plans as the week before. Maybe even the week before that. And before that.
I feel like December is especially like that. Holidays, family, Christmas markets, end-of-the-year gatherings, yearly resets, all of that.
For me, according to my personal astrological year - I won't go too much into detail about that, this is not the place to get all woowoo, unless you're interested? - December is the month of slowing down and spending time with the family, laying the foundations for the following months.
I guess that's another reason why writing seems to be... elusive this time of the year for me. Hah.
Not to mention it's cold outside and honestly, all I want to do is curl up under a blanket and read!
So what do I do about that?
First of all, as always, no guilt spiralling.
That's just a personal rule I've established for myself.
The truth is, the more you beat yourself up over something, the more you're inclined to do that very thing.
This is not some fancy theory; it's something I have observed again and again in my life.
So firstly, as always, allow things to be as they are.
Meaning: This is a time when a lot is going on, and I simply don't have a lot of energy or motivation to write. And that's okay.
With that established and acknowledged, I can move forward.
I can reflect on my values and my priorities - and get brutally honest with myself.
Perhaps during this time, writing is not my priority. That is okay. If I would like it to be, I can reflect on where I am needlessly spending too much energy and focus.
Sometimes, the unwashed dishes, the unbought or unmade presents, the untidy room, the unplanned New Year's resolutions, the un-anything can be a great excuse for not writing.
It can be so easy to do other stuff.
And if that's the case, I like to ask myself:
- How could I make it easier to write just a little bit more?
- Where am I making writing harder than it needs to be?
- How can I prioritise writing in my life?
The purpose of that is not so that I become some hardcore writing machine that spews out 5 novels a year.
The intention is just to make it easier for me to do the thing that I really love doing - writing.
If your Decembers tend to get hectic too, I hope this post has resonated in some way. Take it as an invitation to give yourself plenty of grace, to reflect on what you really want to do during this month, and get (gently or brutally) honest with yourself.
This will also help you lay the grounds to enter the next year with more clarity and grounding.
I wish you a wonderful month ❅
Until next time,
Katja
Thank you for being here.
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See you next week!
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