Easing into the holidays

Including favorite books, taking time off, a plug for Slow January, and a (virtual) goodie bag for writers

For a long stretch of years, December ushered in a frenzy of enthusiasm for setting new year’s resolutions. I’ve come to realize it was nothing more than a glittery to-do list, but the perfectionist in me loved it.

Goal setting over a mug of hot chocolate and a screening of The Holiday? Count me in. But as my awareness around cycle syncing, seasonal living, hustle culture, and burnout deepened, my practices naturally shifted.

Rather than ten or twenty goals spanning everything from career aspirations to my exercise habits, I started focusing on something else entirely: a single word. It releases pressure, supports what unfolds, and allows for flexibility in ways a rigid list simply can’t accommodate.

Alongside reflecting on my creative life in what I call a “writing annual review,” these rituals have become anchoring practices that I look forward to every year. (To download your own guides and worksheets, keep reading!)

I know we’ve just gotten started here on Substack, but per usual, I’m preparing for my annual winter sabbatical. That means I won’t write to you again until sometime in January or February, and I’ll be deleting Instagram from my phone too.

I can’t remember how long ago I started doing this, but it always feels restorative to step back from the online world and try to be as present as possible in my real life during the holiday season.

It’s worth noting that for all their merriment and joy, the holidays can bring up lots of stuff. Big feelings, boundary issues, sadness, grief. Navigating it all takes attention, space, and care, and sometimes disconnecting from social media can be a helpful way to move through it all. (For more ways to soothe your nervous system, listen to my latest podcast episode.)

Before heading off, I wanted to share a few things with you.

Favorite Books of 2023

In case you’re looking for your next great read, here are some of the books that made a big impression on me this year.

1. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (tender and deeply moving)

2. Time’s Mouth by Edan Lepucki (worth staying up late to finish)

3. You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith (a poet’s divorce interrogated from all angles)

4. Blue Hour by Tiffany Clarke Harrison (fragmented, raw, and powerful)

5. The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler (if you lean towards perfectionism, just promise me you’ll read it)

6. The Spectacular by Fiona Davis (it’s not officially a summer vacation unless one of her books is packed)

7. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (old secrets, Italy, and second chances)

8. The Wisdom of Your Body by Hillary L. McBride (exploring unhealthy ideas we’ve inherited about our bodies)

9. Needy by Mara Glatzel (to savor and work through slowly)

National Novel Writing Month Update

NaNoWriMo is humming along. I finished typing up my notebook entries on the 10th, with roughly 7,500 words penned since the summer. After that, sitting down without a clear direction made me feel a bit unmoored, and I decided to stop recording a daily word count. I also didn’t write for a few days. Instead, I carried the fact that I have written. Night after night, mostly before bed, I wrote in a journal that’s now the bare bones of something new. I know I keep saying it, but margins are valuable, and such an essential tool for those of us juggling all the things.

Simply honoring this significance gave way for some new ideas I’m turning over, and my writing continues to be slow (sometimes just a few sentences) but the flow works for me right now.

My schedule is sticking to what I anticipated, where I write Monday-Friday, and take the weekends off. This relieves any pressure to write every day, and leaves space to integrate while still making steady progress.

Overall, my draft is a big mess, but I’m trusting that as part of the process and thinking of creating a sturdier outline once I see what I have to work with.

Embracing Slow January

Lured by setting resolutions (see above), I’ve often felt behind as soon as the first week of January was over. How about we let winter be winter instead? False sense of urgency energy has a strong pull, but what we really need is to take it slow, recover from the holidays on our own timeline, and deepen our connection inward. Don’t rush. If you need an extra nudge, don’t miss this podcast episode all about the necessity of winter.

Winter Rituals Bundle

I sent out a link before making the switch to Substack, but in case you didn’t see it, the Winter Rituals Bundle is a gift filled with guidance to help you gently reflect on 2023 and look ahead to 2024. Head here to download the worksheets and meditation.

Wishing you a calm and restorative holiday season!

Until next time,
Nicole