The January Book part 2
January has been pretty slow and sleepy for me, and looking back over previous January's, I have accepted that this is just how I like it. I have been ponderously working away on a couple of things in the background though. One of them is writing a guide for you, dear readers, about the end of year review process may husband and I have done for the last 9 years; a process that I have been asked about so much over the last few years, and one I have now finally written about.
So, what is The January Book?
Put simply, it is the notebook my husband and I use to review the year that has passed and plan for the year to come. It is both an individual and collaborative process.
But it has led to some incredible things. See my last post for a taster of the last year.
We first did this book in 2009, and over the following 9 years (how is 2009 NINE years ago?!) we credit this process for being the basis for many of our mega life decisions-from having babies, to working on our marriage, changing careers, hiring coaches, and making better health decisions.
We realised over the years that we have done this, that the reason our January Book is so effective is because of how little we stop to do this. We get so caught up in the details of our everyday that we forget to stick our heads up above the noise and just look at where we are against where we’d like to be. It’s so simple, yet so flippin powerful.
It’s called “The January Book” because as well as something to start the year with, it also refers to the fact that it can take the whole of January, if you want it too. This is perfect if, like me, you like to take things slowly at the start of a new year. Working through this book throughout January is the perfect cosy winter activity- I love doing it listening to favourite music, tucked under blankets with a cup of hot tea steaming away nearby. Taking the process slowly is also useful if you are juggling a lot, also like me! You might get it done in one sitting (we have in the past, pre kids- ha) or you might stop and start all month, or only be able to do it in 30 min sessions. All fine. The important thing is not to force it.
We are going away to Elmley again (THIS WEEKEND! TODAY! Our fourth trip now.) to work through our January book, or at least a good chunk of it, and we cannot wait.
You can get your guide to creating your own January Book by filling in the form below. Dave and I have condensed 9 years of learning into the guide; all the things we have tweaked and changed through the years to make it more effective, and we really hope it can be useful for some of you. Any questions, leave a comment or ping me an email or an Instagram DM and I will try my hardest to get back to you.
Gentle January blessings to you all.