this edition of the [no hustle] huddle went out on Mon 11th December 2023

As the rain pours and the year fades, I sit here and breathe; the sort of breath that takes with it a great deal more than air.

These last few weeks, what a blur … a wonderful blur, with last week housing one of those memories I’ll never forget. The wedding, albeit hectic and chaotic (especially for an introvert like me) was magical ?

In a quite literal sense, with picturesque postcard-like snowy backdrops ☃️

Yet magic aside, a busy period it’s been. and this is fine. Even though I’m anti-hustle and talk about escaping the bustle, I am also a realist who appreciates the reality of life.

It’s made up of chapters, some busy and others less so.

The key is to appreciate this and make sure those busy periods don’t last infinity.

That’s why I breathe those more meaningful breaths right now ?

Because this next period is one of RECOVERY ?

I need to recover. I need to take some time to reflect and appreciate the last few months. Not just the wedding and the fact I’m now a married man (still weird to say that), but everything else that’s happened of late—the good and less so.

Yet the default state is always to crack on and keep at it. To work. To catch up. Before I know it, 2024 is in full swing and I’m exhausted ?

It’s okay to hustle from time to time. It is okay to work hard and grind the gears when you have to. Yet you owe it to yourself (and those around you) to FORCE yourself to step back … slow down a little … reflect … and RECOVER ❣️

from the [no hustle] community

5 Signs You Need To Slow Down — unsure if you need to slow down? here are some signs you might need to …

Daily Solitude Rituals — need help to slow down? start here …

3 actions to take this week

? bookmark this → 10 signs of burnout with a few surprising ones on the list…

? listen to this → can NOT eating help you reflect and recover ?

? DO THIS → ask yourself: What Do I NEED? — too often we get caught up in doing what we want (or feel like we have to do), but at this point of the year, it’s more important than ever to consider what you NEED.

Take some time to reflect on this.

Then… think about how you can give yourself this gift before it’s too late ?

Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman — I have yet to read this book but am about to … I have heard from a few people how good it is, and I’ve wanted to wait for the “right” time to dive in.

This feels like the right time ?

If you’ve read it, hit reply and let me know what you think ??

If you haven’t… wanna join me❓

?️ pass the mic

When I think of slowing down and embracing a period of recovery, the talented writer and thinker Chris Bailey comes to mind — his book ‘How To Calm Your Mind’ is a great place to start and may be exactly what you need to end the year ?

? drop the mic

I am tired. I need to recover. I need to take some time to slow down, think, and reflect … this is always the case (at least for me) at this time of the year.

But I’ll tell ya something… it’s so easy not to; to instead, carry on ⛰️

Not always out of fear or necessity… but excitement and hope ❤️

A New Year always houses opportunity and abundance ?

And for me, this time around, it’s never more true as the chapter I’m entering is full of GREAT aspects both at home and at work.

I am excited. I want to dive in. I am ready for a little hustle ?

But this is not what I need ⛔

What I need is to recover, if only for a week or two. To think and reflect and take some time to smell the roses ? not just for me, but my work; my family; my now wife; my kids; everything I am a part of and am involved in.

What all that needs is a WHOLE ME … a person starting 2024 with a full cup ☕

Chances are, those around you need the same from YOU ?

and, like me, maybe what you need and what you want differs.

If that’s the case, fight the temptation to grind the gears to end 2023. Give yourself the gift of recovery, whatever that looks like for you ❤️

Thanks for reading today … if you know something who needs these words, forward the email to them — and if you have something to say, I’d love to hear from you; hit reply and let’s have a chat ??

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