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Slowing Down In December
36 Plays2 months ago
Today's episode is about slowing down in December — enjoying the little things, protecting downtime, and still keeping up with life at a pace that feels right for the season. If December ever feels a little rushed, this is your reminder that it’s okay to do less and really enjoy the season.
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Transcript
December's Natural Shift in Priorities
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello and welcome back to Connected Diva. It's December and honestly, this is the month where my priorities just shift. Not in a dramatic, you know, new me January kind of way.
00:00:13
Speaker
More like everything slows down in a little bit, whether I plan it or not. And this year, I'm choosing to lean into that. I love Christmas. It's my favorite time of year.
00:00:24
Speaker
I love the decorations, the lights, the little moments that only really happen in December. You know, the frosty, sometimes foggy walk in the park with a cup of tea and cozy gloves.
00:00:38
Speaker
It's my favorite time. It's just so magical. And I don't want to miss all that because I've stuffed my calendar full, which I actually have done this year for the first time.
Reflecting on Past Decembers
00:00:49
Speaker
I have a lot of social things. I have ah hobbies, something I picked up recently. And I'm realizing I don't actually have that much disposable time. In the past, I have done that, where December becomes this weird frantic marathon.
00:01:05
Speaker
And every year I think, why am I doing this? Also, who am I doing it for? It's supposed to be the coziest month. It's supposed to be, well, busy. It's supposed to be a really relaxing and enjoyable time for me.
00:01:19
Speaker
So this year, my priority number one is chill time. Quiet days out. Just walking around, looking at decorations. which might not sound much for some people, but for me, it's extremely reflective and grounding and really, really special.
00:01:37
Speaker
Maybe sitting in a cafe doing nothing productive at all. Well, one thing that I wanted to put on that priority list that I'm not Particularly successful, it still is less time on social media, but I have another episode on that, so I'm not going to be talking about this too much.
00:01:53
Speaker
Another thing is, you know, picking up hobbies that I ignore when life gets busy. So December hobbies, especially cozy, you know, lovely ones like the choir, priority number one.
00:02:05
Speaker
The kind of things that don't move my goals forward necessarily, but make me feel good.
Relaxation and Hobbies Over Productivity
00:02:11
Speaker
Because I think that's quite an important thing. Sometimes you have to create that space for things that don't feel extremely important in a way or productive, but really shift your mood in a way that in the future will make you more productive.
00:02:26
Speaker
And I'm obviously still doing the podcast. I absolutely feel love doing it. It's not going anywhere. But in December, I'm doing it at a pace that actually matches my life this month.
00:02:38
Speaker
I don't need to squeeze it in or force it or treat December like some kind of race. I can show up and slow down at the same time. And I think a lot of us forget that's a allowed.
00:02:50
Speaker
If i go this month, like any other month, I will have to do a lot of editing and that takes a lot of time and I would miss out on other things because I'm obviously also working at the same time. So it's kind of building that calendar of priorities that will feel good and it's for a one month.
00:03:07
Speaker
And again, it's something that we don't always allow ourselves to take that pause, to feel better, to feel good. And it's not even a pause, it's more like a a gentle step back.
00:03:20
Speaker
Not stopping, just being more precious with things in a way. There is this pressure at the end of the year to tie everything up with a ball, to finish strong. You know, make December this big final push.
00:03:34
Speaker
And honestly, no thanks. No thanks. Not this year. I'm not sprinting into January exhausted. And January it has so much weight sometimes. It's the beginning of the new year and everyone has all these resolutions that a lot of the time people don't even make.
00:03:52
Speaker
I want to end this year with a full battery, not an empty one. I don't want to start the new year exhausted, empty, depleted. want to start the new year happy and fulfilled.
Embracing Clarity and Simple Moments
00:04:05
Speaker
The funny thing is when I do less, it's like everything feels clearer. I notice things I normally rush past, like how nice it is to be outside when the air is cold, but the lights are warm.
00:04:17
Speaker
Or how hobbies feel different when you're not squeezing them between commitments. There have been days when I've been running from one thing to another, to another, to now to another, and then by the end of the day, I feel absolutely exhausted.
00:04:30
Speaker
I haven't enjoyed any of them really because I'm always thinking about the next thing I need to get to. And that's just not a way to do things. Even basic things like watching a movie at home feel better when your mind isn't running ahead. to the next thing you should be doing or what you should be doing instead of watching that movie.
00:04:49
Speaker
And I do think December naturally asks us to slow down anyway. The shorter days, the cozy evenings, the whole festive mood, it feels like an invitation.
00:05:01
Speaker
If you decide to look at it like that, I know some people look at December as a a really busy, hectic month where they're overwhelmed by, you know, that commercial aspect of the holiday. But actually, I choose to look at it differently.
00:05:15
Speaker
And if you do that, you have to actually accept it. Otherwise, the month goes by and you realize you didn't enjoy any of it. So that's what I'm doing. I'm saying yes to slower days. I'm saying yes to doing less.
00:05:30
Speaker
Not doing nothing at all, just doing less. Enough that I can breathe, enough that I can enjoy the parts of life that don't get attention when things are busy.
00:05:40
Speaker
And honestly, it feels so good to protect December a bit. To say, this month is precious to me. This month isn't for rushing. the month This month is for enjoying.
00:05:51
Speaker
And the funny thing? Nothing falls apart. The world keeps turning. The things I want to do in January will still be there. My coach will still be there. But I'll be more rested and more present for them.
00:06:04
Speaker
If you're someone who actually treats December like the final lap of a race, Maybe this can be a reminder that you can also treat it like a break, a transition, a chance to actually enjoy the things around you instead of racing past them.
00:06:21
Speaker
Because the problem when you race is that you're always missing the present moment. You're never actually properly living.
The Essence of Doing Less
00:06:29
Speaker
Doing less doesn't mean you're slacking.
00:06:31
Speaker
It doesn't mean you don't care. It means you're paying attention to what actually matters right now. And sometimes that's a peaceful day out or a hobby night or just letting yourself enjoy the season.
00:06:44
Speaker
So that's my December plan. A little slower, a little lighter, still showing up for the things I love, like the podcast, just at a pace that feels right for this time of the year.
00:06:56
Speaker
Well, that's it from it today. Thanks for hanging out with me and I hope you get some quiet, cozy moments this month too. I'll catch you again next week. Until next time.