"The Year of More" didn't work (in 2023)
And what I'm learning about my relationship with specific vs. "intention" goal-setting
I hope you’re enjoying The Mindful Consumer. This is a newsletter about paying attention to what you are paying attention to—and how it impacts your mindset, your mental health, and your money.
TMC is 1/3 of my job—and I treat it as such. I’m always trying to be a mindful creator, and put a lot of time and thought into everything I share with you. And I could not do this work without the financial support of this community.
By supporting this project, you’ll get access to everything I write, including my monthly newsletter filled with curated links/resources. Also, my gratitude for helping me continue writing for a living. Thank you, friend. ❤️
Hi friend,
It’s 7:54am and I’m watching one of the baby hedgie’s drink water in my back garden. This is the second morning in a row I’ve seen her (I’ve decided this one is a girl, apparently!?) through the window and, at first, I was worried. Hedgehogs are nocturnal. She shouldn’t be out and about right now. But yesterday, she was cruising around at 8:45am and 2:45pm. She’s eating and drinking, and nosing her way through the dirt in search of grubs, so it feels safe to assume she’s not unwell. Maybe she’s just making moves. Still getting to know the place. Figuring out what’s next for her here. I know that’s what I’ve been doing.
There are six weeks left in 2023. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re nearing the end of fall and getting closer to winter. Where I live in the North of England, sunrise is now nearing the 8am range and sunset is in the 3pm’s. The days are short, nights are long. And the usual content about how important it is to live with the seasons is starting to make the rounds. These are the months to retreat and hibernate; to slow down and rest. Most years, I would probably agree. But this year, while I can feel myself leaning into the coziness of these months, I’ve found myself surprisingly energized.
Inspired. Excited. Alive. Open. Curious. I’ve been asking big questions, and sharing everything that’s coming up for me with friends. Then feeding off their energy in response, and thinking even more seriously about it all. We haven’t even lived through the December holiday season, and I’m already thinking ahead to what I want for myself in 2024. Friend: I have goals. Real goals. It feels good to finally be able to say that, after years of being too afraid to set big them for myself. And I have a failed experiment to thank for helping me get here.