Take your S.M.A.R.T. goals...

and shove them somewhere dark.

A cartoon

A thought

I hope you have found some peace, rest and reflection in this weird liminal week between years.

This is usually the week I feel a surge of productivity planning coming on, new diary, goals and resolutions for the year to come. This year, the get-ready energy is absent. I have been trying to work out, do I lack ambition? Why does the thought of goals make me slightly queasy?

In a world of constant uncertainty, goals feel ridiculously rigid. When decisions are made for a future that is ever-changing, goals feel more like chains.

I have shit to do - stuff I want to get done, so what is the alternative? I’m calling it presence. Paying attention to what’s happening now. Making decisions close to the moment they’re needed. Letting values guide the direction. I am also holding five anchors (family, farm, house, work and creativity) - commitments I return to, again and again, even as everything around them stays fluid.

When I meander through life like this, all the pressure and demands of capitalism become muffled. My productivity is no longer the core value. Smaller things like drawing (to keep me sane), growing food and caring for land, playing music, and spending time with people I like suddenly feel weightier.

This route does not promise success or protection from loss. It just feels like a way of moving through time that stays responsive rather than rigid. A way of being present with care, joy and creativity that doesn’t depend on the future behaving.

How are you doing resolution season this year?

Glimmers and sparks*

My glimmers for today are:

• How many times can I list Welcome Swallows in my glimmers? Watching them soar is truly a joy every day - even if they did poop on my face - which actually did happen last week!

• A feeling of momentum on house and farm jobs that are usually put on the back burner.

• Delicious homemade Christmas cake - a beautiful gift from in-laws keeps delivering joy well past Christmas - thank you!

Li’l bean is your reminder to pause and ask: What are your glimmers for today?

From your friend and your small, steadfast companion,

*Drawing Li’l Bean helped me navigate out of a period of depression in 2023. A good friend 13, 595km away, helped, too, through a ritual of swapping daily glimmers via text.

A glimmer is a tiny spark of hope, enthusiasm or joy that lifts your heart. By helping me find three glimmers each day, she gently helped me see the joy and beauty already around me.

I’d like to share this practice with you and invite you to reflect on your glimmers for the day when you read this. Think of Li’l Bean as a reminder to notice the glimmers and sparks in your life. We’d love it if you would like to share your glimmers in the comments or by hitting reply (if you don’t like sharing publicly).

My cartoons grow from Ngunnawal Country, where sovereignty was never ceded. My respect and gratitude to Elders across time, those who have held, who still hold, and who will hold this Country in wisdom and care. May my small work walk softly alongside their long story of stewardship and belonging.