31. Advent Calendar

It's the first of December and probably like many of you, I've got myself a Christmas advent calendar.

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I just think it's a really interesting thing to do.

A time of waiting and preparation, having a daily reminder of the grand event that is going to take place, a prompt to look forward.

I was thinking about how I could apply this forward-looking to other areas of my life. I think sometimes the future doesn't seem so clear and that leads to a distressed and depressed state.

I don't think that I put in place gestures to remind me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

It is more often than not that where we remain stagnant discouragement comes- it’s in this constant waiting period.

We don't set in place these almost daily habits to remind us why we're doing things.

So like the Christmas calendar, we need those stimuli to keep us on track. Wherever or whatever it may be.

Things like really understanding the why behind the hard efforts, staying inspired with art or work in your field, or simply just looking back and taking account of all the progress you've made.

Whatever it is, I think that there's something important in the daily recognition of change and progression as without it we can burn out not recognising all we have done. Like the calendar, I’m going to look forward and make sure to have ‘gifts’ of motivation in every season of my work.

‘I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.’ - Charlotte Bronte