happy "no new things" day 2024!
30 Sep 2024preface: if you’re curious in the evolution of this experiment/thought/practice, here are the last 5 posts about it: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019.
happy (sixth) no new things day!
celebrating no happy new things day is part of my commitment to slowing down so i can be in right relationship with fall and winter (at least as far as i understand them where i live). once no new things day has come, i say as much no as possible to new asks for my time, attention, or energy.
i’ve found that, at least in my work life, things tend to ramp up in the weeks following summer, often co-inciding with when school starts. but when i say yes to new things in the fall, that creates a context where there’s a bunch of new stuff competing with everything i’ve already committed to finish. i’ve learned that if i can say a lot of no during fall (and early fall especially), i can actually slow down by around thankstaking. then when winter comes around, i can actually be slow.
i’ve learned that that slowness is a great way for me to be with the energy of new england winter. in winter, i have learned that i feel way better when i can do less, read more, have fewer commitments, spend more time inside being cozy (cozy, cozy).
of course, there are exceptions to the “no new things” boundary (imho, boundaries are permeable; barriers aren’t). they include things:
- i’ve already committed to but need more energy
- that fit with or achieve several priorities of mine at once
- that would really help someone out who i feel accountable to
- that feel value-aligned and contribute to my long-term individual, relational, or community wellness
sometimes there are other exceptions, but beyond those above, i try to keep exceptions to an extreme minimum.
it’s wild to have been in this practice for 6 years but it’s getting better and better each year. one year i connected with someone who takes the last two weeks of december off completely and i’m not there yet but… squad goals, ya know?
words / writing / post-processing
~330w / ? min / 11min