What I Learned This Winter

It is only by reflecting on the past that one can create a better future. – Rithy Panh

I’ve been following Emily Freeman’s What We Learned blog posts for years now (You can find some of her old entries here).  While she used to compile them more often, a while ago she moved them to quarterly lists.  This season, for the first time, I’m joining in!  It’s important to take time to look back.  It helps us grow.  Since my goal is to be more intentional this year, quarterly reflections on what I learned seems like a good place to invest a little time.  Today, I’m linking my list over at Emily’s blog, so make sure to head over there to read her list as well!

Morning pages help me set my goals for the day.

This winter, I’ve been working to craft a regular writing habit.  After my contract with the Girl Scouts ended in September, I found myself with a lot more extra time to fill.  I had heard about morning pages a while back, and they came into my radar again.  So, I decided to give them a try.  Three pages a day (I usually skip the weekends), handwritten, no rules.  My pages usually consist of a record of the day before.  But I started to notice they also contain my goals for the day and the week.  As a Type A person through and through, I suppose it makes sense.  Not only am I making daily and weekly goals, but I’m also accomplishing them.  It’s been great for helping me fill my time at home productively, as well as bring to light new things I want to accomplish.

There’s something about a paper planner that I love

I moved most of my scheduling to Google calendar years ago.  A paper planner wasn’t working for me – I needed a better way to see my personal schedule in tandem with my work schedule.  Unexpectedly, I was given a beautiful weekly planner from a good friend in North Carolina this Christmas.  The cover has leaves on it and it fits me so well!  I’ve been writing in it almost daily – scripture readings, dinner menu, to-do lists, whatever.  I never had success with a bullet journal but this has been a great substitute.  Being able to check off what I’ve finished each day is very satisfying, and I love being able to add and change without having to log into something.

I love plants

A long time ago, I was told I had a green thumb.  I must have been in 4th or 5th grade, and the compliment came from a teacher at the summer camp/daycare I attending during the day at a local church.  This comment had slipped my mind until recently – it’s funny how some people can see you and know things about you before you do.  I had some plants in North Carolina that moved with me from Virginia, but it was only two or three.  Since moving into our house here in Japan, I’ve acquired around 15 plants.  Many of them I’ve propagated to make babies, bringing the total to close to double that.  It’s been such fun, learning a bit about each plant and watching new things grow.

Dog hair is never ending

I had heard from my pet-owning friends that this was a thing, but I never knew the true reality it until we let Wilfred’s hair grow a bit for the winter.  He’s cute, but this may be worse than a house covered in glitter.

The Facebook app takes up way too much of my time

Apple introduced screen time with IOS 12, sometime back in mid-2018.  I never paid much attention to it until recently, and I’m ashamed to admit just how many hours a day I spend on my phone on Facebook.  (yep, hours, not minutes).  I’ve been keeping track for a while now, so just this past weekend I deleted the app from my phone.  Now, what to do with all this free time?

While I don’t much care for winter, I do like the work of winter

I heard that phrase recently, “the work of winter,” and instantly loved it.  Sure, I could do without the months of cold, although I do admit I love a good snow.  But the winter season offers a unique space to evaluate myself I don’t find in other seasons.  Maybe it’s the start of the new year.  Maybe it’s spending more time in the house during the early nights and cold days.  In recent years winter has given me the space to step back, see what’s working and what’s not, and change it.  I appreciate and need that space.

Sometimes, waiting makes me anxious

A recent trip with Vicki brought this starkly into the light.  In the days leading up to my trip, my morning pages were filled with anxiety about everything that could go wrong:  what if one or both of us gets sick?  What if our bags are stolen?  I haven’t traveled without Caleb in a long time.  What if Vicki can’t handle my special kind of crazy?

As soon as we started making a move toward our destination (for us, this was an overnight stay at a hotel in Tokyo), my anxiety dissolved.  And it didn’t reappear.  It’s interesting to me that what sets my mind spinning is the preparation and waiting and planning.  Not always, but often enough.  But the actual act of doing the thing, usually, puts me at ease.  Is anyone else like this or is it just me?

That’s my list for this winter season.  I hope you’ll join me in a habit of reflection.  What are you learning?  Please share with me in the comments!  Until next time!