So, it’s Day 2 of kids back to school and me attempting to get back to normal.

Weeks of Christmas excess and family staying. Kids off school. The lovely rhythm of lazy mornings and no schedule. It’s been awesome. And then suddenly – bang – it’s January. And you realise how much hasn’t been done over the holidays and quite how much you’ve got to get back on top of. Today.

I don’t know why, but this year, I’m finding it hard to get back into the swing of things. Normally, I love this time of year. I have my own little new year’s ritual that usually sees me through: a new journal (especially when it’s a lovely new leather fairtrade Nkuku one from your best friend), a bit of quiet time to think about the year gone by and my hopes and dreams and prayers for the one to come. Some time to write it all down, think, pray, read it through.

And I love this process. I am a clean-sheet kind-of girl. A quick stock-take, a fresh look at things, some time to set some goals and targets and I am good to go.

But the problem – probably for many of us – isn’t the reviewing, or the contemplating, or the dreaming of what is to come. It’s in the actual doing. I’ve set the goals and dreamed the dreams and written the to-do lists. It’s time to spring into action!

Only I don’t feel so springy today. Or yesterday.

The house is quiet and I have the time and space to get on with the things I know I need to get done. But the words won’t come out. Thoughts run circles inside my brain and continue to career off at crazy tangents (I have looked at some random things on google these past couple of days.) I have this funny image in my head of a cartoon me attempting to lassoo all these stray thoughts back in and whip them into some sort of order.

So it’s a slow start to 2015 for me. Perhaps it is for you too. With so many dreams and plans and hopes in my head, perhaps it will just take a while to settle into a rhythm. Perhaps it’s just one of those moments where you need to cut yourself a little slack and stand up and walk away from the desk for a moment. Turn off the computer and ignore the to-do list and breathe deep. Move away from the desk and look up at the blue sky.

Whatever it takes, today I will mostly be remembering that life is a marathon and not a sprint (tweet this) and endeavouring to be kind to myself as my mind slowly kicks back into gear (I hope!) and revs up to the challenge of 2015.

P.S. If you haven’t got around to it yet, there are a whole plethora of inspirational tools and blogs out there to get you going on your New Year stocktake (should you wish to do one!) Here’s a couple of quick links to two of my favourites:

1) Jennie Allen’s Dream Guide. A free tool that helps you review 2014 and dream about things to come this year.

2) Oneword365.com – If new year’s resolutions are too much for you, try picking just one word for your year. And connect with other people who have also chosen that word.

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