For me, winter is a time of transition.
In the cold and dark days, I retreat inward, into a cocoon of becoming.
As winter creeps in, with its naked trees, I find myself with an urge to mirror Nature’s dormancy.
Winters are cold, winters are trying, but winters (both literal and metaphorical) have a lot they can teach us.
It is the season when I slow down, reflect on the year I’ve experienced, and prepare for who I want to become and what I want to do in the new year.
This sweater (and more) can be found on FourthWall.
My personal New Year starts on my birthday (March 29th).
Spring, when the leaves return to the trees and the wild flowers bloom, has always felt more “new” to me than winter.
As a major winter storm approaches, I’m reminded how far January is from spring, as Texas often faces its harshest cold as late as February.
In winter, the animals hibernate in their burrows or fly south to avoid the harsh cold, and I try to do the same.
I slow down and plant seeds for spring projects.
Winter, for me, is a quiet time, especially for my professional life.
Most clients are out of the office, and my inbox goes quiet for a month or two—something I now look forward to.
The winter days are shorter, so in winter each hour of daylight becomes even more precious to me, so I’ve learned not to try to fill the time with other tasks.
Winter isn’t a time to make money… not for me, or in my line of work. It is a time to survive on the rations of fall and to have faith and hope that things will bounce back in the spring.
Instead of worrying over the slow months, I embrace them.
I make it a priority to go outside each day and open the blinds (as long as it’s warm enough), so I can soak up as much precious sunlight as possible.
Right now, I’m buried in a collaboration with Rebecca Duffus, creating an adult version of the ‘Autism, Identity and Me’ children’s workbook we put out last year.
We’ve been working together for over two years now.
This adult workbook is due to the publisher in early April.
I also publish written posts on Substack once or twice a week.
That’s all I’m focused on this winter (for the most part).
I am on “pause” or… slow motion.
I’m not doing much else this winter, except a bit of pre-work for the clients who have already reached out to set up collaborations for spring.
Most collaboration requests are deferred until spring, except for select projects that fit my winter pace.
Writing, for me, fits my winter speed well, allowing me time and space to slow down, reflect, and introspect. I love writing in winter, but really, I love writing any time of year.
After submitting our book in the spring, I’ll enter a new season, focusing on promoting that project.
Springtime, when we rush to launch book promotions, will be a period of rapid expansion, reaching out, collaborations, and growth. Until then, I get to move slowly as both the project and I remain in a quiet period of development.
My Brain Needs Sun
I learned several years ago that if I don’t get enough sunlight day to day, my brain gets sad.
It doesn’t matter what time of year it is (winter or summer); if I don’t go outside enough, especially if I’m sitting indoors with all the blinds closed, it can and will push me into a depression.
One way I combat this is by getting up earlier in winter and starting my days earlier (not an easy feat since I’m not naturally a morning person).
Despite my usual ability to fall into a winter habit of going to bed and rising earlier, I struggled this year until I found a solution (Focused.Space), which I’ll discuss in more detail next week in its own post (as it’s been transformative for me and I’m really excited to talk about it because when I first heard about it, I honestly didn’t think it was going to be for me… until I tried it and was instantly hooked).
This tool has helped me get my butt up and ready to start my days bright and early, as well as supporting me as I plan my days and finish my tasks, leaving me with enough time to spare each day that I’m able to go outside and play with the dogs after work, when there is still sun in the sky.
What is it?
Basically, Focused.Space is a community with tools and support to help ADHDers like us organize ourselves and get tasks done (especially for those of us who work from home or benefit from body doubling).
If you don’t want to wait for that announcement, you can find out more about Focused.Space at https://get.focused.space/neurodivergentrebel or via the button below.
Otherwise, please stay tuned for the big reveal next week, where I talk more about Foused.Space and how I will be partnering with them this year.
Please note: The link above is an affiliate link that grants you access to Focused.Space at a discount while also supporting the work I do on this blog.
Looking forward to sharing more with you about this very special space (and how, when, and where you can find me on there) soon.
