And relax…

I’m not going to lie; I’ve had a hell of a few months.

From volunteering at the Museum of Happiness, to a last-minute invitation to Plum Village, to my first Hay House Writer’s Workshop, to my father’s passing, to becoming Head of Content for the Museum, to completing and submitting my first book proposal .. eesh.

Given that I live completely unsupported with a chronic health condition that drastically impairs my pain, energy and stamina levels, I’m not sure if I should be proud or astonished. A little of both, to be honest.

I’m incredibly grateful for all of the above – even the bits that were difficult (it was all complicated by my illness).

But, oh boy, I’ve made a decision about April. One that might be tricky to stick to, but I’m going to give it my best shot anyway.

I’m taking the month off.

That’s it.

And by “taking the month off”, I mean; no unnecessary commitments or projects. No pushing myself. No stressing myself out over what’s happening on social media.

What WILL it involve? Fun, hopefully. Play, ideally. Plenty of sleep and rest – most definitely.

Most of all, it’s about making my life easier and more relaxed (if you think I’m a pretty relaxed person, this month you may wonder if I’m functionally comatose). If the past couple of days have been any indication, it will involve a LOT of naps, some reading, and a little bit of sewing.

Because I want to swap unnecessary commitments for something Todd Henry, author of one of my favourite books The Accidental Creative, calls “unnecessary creating”;

“When we spend much of our time in on-demand creating, we can quickly lose touch with the passions that fuel our best work.

We grow used to leveraging our abilities for the sole purpose of meeting others’ expectations, and much of that is driven by hitting our marks rather than by exploring new possibilities.

The ironic part is that this personal creative passion is the most critical thing we bring to the work we do.

When we create unnecessarily, we are setting our own agenda. We have permission to try new things, develop new skills, and make things solely for ourselves. We can take as much or as little time as we need to get it right.”

Personally, I’m hoping to get my sewing mojo back. I have big ideas, some big gaps in my wardrobe, and a big stash of fabric that isn’t going anywhere no matter how often I refold it to make it look smaller. I want to get out of my head and back into my hands.

I know. This isn’t as glamorous as heading off to Bali for a month, or back-packing across South America for the summer. When it comes to shrugging off one’s daily routine, this is pure “staycation” territory.

And hey, I still have stuff in my diary, including a gazillion (okay, three) massive audio summits (on coaching, embodied leadership and tracing trauma) and a very old car to get through its MOT (let my joy be unconfined).

I’m also aware of the incredible privilege I hold in announcing this intention. If I had a paying job or offspring/relations to care for, this kind of self-indulgence could go whistle.

But look. It’s my birthday this month. It’s not fancy but this is the gift I’m giving myself.

What do you need?