Embrace The Slower Pace Of Winter

When you think of winter, you may think of snow and the cold, shorter daylight hours, the winter blues and how the season drags on longer than all the other seasons (or at least it feels that way). As much as I dread the painfully cold weather, I actually appreciate the winter season for it’s slower pace.

Here’s why…

I use the slower pace of winter to get inspired, make plans and get organized. I’ve notice that as soon as Spring hits, time starts to fly and my calendar is full. Before I know it we are at the end of the year and I don’t know how we got there. So I started using the winter months to make plans and get organized so that I can be more in control of my year. 

Things I do…

• Get inspired: Look at magazines, get on Pinterest, watch tv (hear me out). I never have time to do these things during most of the year but during winter these are a few of my favorite evening activities. I rip out the pages of the magazine that inspire me. I create Pinterest boards for all things that will help me reach my goals. I watch cooking shows, home shows and mini/docu-series to inspires me. Being inspired helps to motivate you to go after your goals.
• Learn: read, take a class, watch YouTube. This is a great time to learn something new or to get better at something you are already actively pursuing.
• Make plans: This is when I plan out what I want in my garden and when/where to plant. I also plan family trips, birthday parties and other get togethers. This way I am not scrambling at the last minute, missing important dates or being disappointed that I didn’t make things I really wanted to do a priority so now it has to wait until next year.

Try a Simplified Planner by Emily Ley to make plans and get organized!

• Get organized: now is the time to tackle the project of reorganizing your closet, purging all the extra stuff you have collected, or any other inside project you had in mind.

So this year, rather than dreading the long, cold winter, cozy up and make the most of these few months! All of these things make the winter much more enjoyable and makes the rest of the year more productive and less stressful.