Happy 2022! Hoping this year will signify the end of lockdowns and dramatic u-turns so we can power ahead. The start of the year is always a good occasion to reflect on how far we've come, and to set new goals for the next 365 days. Rather than the drastic ‘resolutions’ that typically don't last more than a few weeks, I prefer word(s) of the year, to encapsulate your intentions for the New Year. You can regularly keep yourself in check with those. They definitely feel softer and more achievable than resolutions and can guide you towards positive change.
Below are my three words for 2022 – getting them out in the open for accountability! I hope it can also help if you are looking for an easy way to set goals and stay focused.
D A R E
Daring to put myself out there
Last year on many occasions I found excuses to back out of the original plans I had made. It’s very easy to over-think every decision and find a good reason not to go ahead. The truth is when I came back to work from mat leave and was let go twice in six months, my confidence took a real battering. The silver lining was that it was the kick up the butt I needed to kiss office life goodbye, have a good think about my purpose and start something I finally feel very passionate about. I also found motherhood incredibly tough the second time round - all of this made want me curl up into a little ball in a corner for a while. Clémentine Loves was my saviour during the pandemic. Now it’s time to get into second gear and spread the word as I really believe preloved is the future and it brings joy to everyone involved in the process!
Daring to connect more
The connections made so far through Clémentine Loves have been most enlightening. I'm so grateful for all the advice, encouragement, general banter that has come my way from old and new friends. Now it's time to really come out of my shell and ask for more help and share more a like-minded community.
Daring to jump into the unknown
I’ve always been fairly risk-adverse and this has gone even worse in recent years with kids and lockdowns - the fear has been real! I endeavour to challenge myself more, get out of this comfort zone and do scary things! Bring on more IRL events, more writing, more new experiences.
Daring to say no!
Just as sometimes I need to let go, in other situations boundaries become mandatory. I’ve always found it tricky to say no, especially in a work capacity, but multiple experiences now allow me to decipher what will take me forward and what won’t, together with what to say and when. So here's to sticking to my guns more!
Daring to dream big
As a solo business owner the ride of emotions is wild and most of the time can’t be shared as and when. I’ve found a negative thought can spiral out of control pretty quickly. I will endeavour to take more stock of these feelings, sit with them without them take over my life. I’ve been reading a bit about the idea that all thoughts are our version of reality, not necessarily ‘the’ reality, so it will be about containing these thoughts, and focusing more on the positives. I’ve always loved the idea of a vision board, however never found the time to do one - until now! It was tough at first to ‘spare’ the afternoon letting go of the pressing to-to list an allocate time to do this. However one week in and it’s already done me a world of good, first allowing me to dream big, setting my mind free and starting to ‘manifest’. Now I think about it at least once a day and it really helps with taking the little steps that lead to reaching bigger goals.
E N E R G Y
We get the most out of life when we are full of energy. I’m at my happiest when I have lots of energy to do lots of things, and grumpy when my energy levels go down and I have to stop. So this year I’m ready to get rid of the bad energy and welcome the good one with open arms! I’ll endeavour to radiate positive energy, give 110% in everything.
How? I’ll nurture habits that make me burst with energy: regular workouts, water intake, sleep schedule, flexitarian diet, 1-2-1 time with my nearest and dearest, meaningful work that gets me into a creative flow . I’m a few weeks in the subscription to the ‘Feel Better’ app from Deliciously Ella and I’m loving the easy tracking and inspiration for more plant based meals, exercise and mindfulness, the one habit I haven’t managed to make space for so far! Hoping the easy access and bite-size recordings will help me make this a part of my daily routine.
I’ll also look into streamlining processes to spend less energy on some tasks to have more energy for more exciting projects. What does this look like? Batch working for a start – this can apply to photography, content planning or cooking! Delegating is another key point of focus for me this year. It comes with recognising when my time is best spent, the things I’m good at and the things I’m rubbish at – cue more clothes sourcing and relationship building, bye bye IT and admin!
F O C U S
Focus is another essential to achieve anything - but it's been running away from me for a few years now! It started before kids with the rise of the notification pings right, left and centre. The need to constantly be kept in the loop resulting in a dramatic fall in productivity. Then the arrival of the little sproglets sent any sort of focus down the drain! The constant ‘Mummyyyyy’, being pulled in all directions every five seconds, make the cortisol levels go through the roof.
The decrease in attention is a global phenomenon. I found the Diary of a CEO podcast where Johann Hari discuss his book and research on focus with host Steven Bartlett most enlightening. All the things we're feeling are backed up by staggering statistics – on average student keep their attention on one thing for 65 seconds, workers for 3 minutes! The average worker in the office is productive 3 hours out of 8! It’ definitely something I want to address moving forward, I really believe it is one of greatest keys to unlock a happier and more fulfilled life.
How to do that? Less processed foods, more sleep, more real life connections, more paper book reading, and crucially: a conscious unplugging from the tech that is chipping away at our sanity. Do you suffer from nomophobia? The fear from being detached from your mobile phone. I know I do, I freak out every time I can't see the thing and I spend a good part of my day looking for it. Crazy when you think about it! I'm willing to take steps to curb this dreadful feeling. I endeavour to impose phone bans during certain hours, and be more intentional with what I consume when interacting with the phone.
Sharpening focus on my offering
From a work point of view I want to move Clémentine Loves towards a more defined offering. I have lots of ideas regarding the type of brands and items I want to source moving forward. I think the mid-luxury market is relatively untapped as it feels like preloved is either very low value or top of the range Chanel flap bag, with not much in between. I want the edits to reflect the change in clothing habits as the working-from-home trend is going nowhere. So bring on stylish loungewear and affordable luxury mixed with fabulous quality.
I would love to hear if you have any word(s) or intentions for the new year, and equally any feedback you might have on what you would like to see on Clémentine Loves please fire away!
Wishing you health, growth and joy for 2022.
Clémentine