Everything about the start of January screams action… jump-start your training, jettison your bad habits, join a gym.

But I’m quite not ready for it yet.

The last few months have been action-packed and really busy – an autumn ultra, an international work trip, catching up with family and friends, Friday nights in Manchester, parkrun ambassador-ing. And in just a couple of weeks, we’re off to Australia. It will be our first long-haul adventure in a while. I’m really excited – and most of the planning is done – but I definitely don’t want to burn out on January madness before we go.

So I’m slowing down for a couple of weeks, not speeding up. It’s a lesson I’ve sometimes learned the hard way, but taking a moment is just what I need right now.

I’m going to sit with a coffee and the crossword in my happy place…

I’m going to walk more and run less – it’s not that difficult a decision with all the rain, ice and snow. I definitely don’t want to hit the deck again before my holiday…

I’m going to be more aware of my surroundings and take time to appreciate them – the colours of the sunset on Friday were breath-taking. I watched a squirrel climb a tree.

I’m slow cooking as often as I can – today, there’s a beef and barley casserole on the go, and the kitchen smells amazing.

I’m finishing off my Christmas binge-watching and biscuits – we completed our Star Wars challenge on New Year’s Eve (all the movies in order) and now we’re going to the moon For All Mankind – 4 series to watch until our Apple TV+ subscription runs out. I’ve got a blanket on my new.

There’s time for grand plans, challenges, and long-running adventures later in the year.

Right now, I’m taking the advice of Haemin Sunam’s book and slowing down for a couple of weeks. Who knows what I’ll see?

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52 for 52 in 2025 #1 – blogs in 2025 inspired by the books I’m reading.