Issue #20: Fall Brew: Closing Rings for 2024
Issue #20: Fall Brew: Closing Rings for 2024
And the little things that are making me feel human again
Last fall I was at peak “seasonal vibing.” I observed the autumn equinox with a good house clean, incense burning, and playing Mabon Queen by Flora Ware on repeat. I cozied up for a tarot pull, seasonal reflections, and goal-setting. And, since I was trying to conceive at the time, being so tuned into my own cycle only heightened the sacred feelings of being so in sync with nature.
I indulged in the freedom to slow down and notice the “beauty and bounty.”
This year, I barely registered the equinox on September 22. I could tell you the exact age of my baby that day, down to the hour — which sums up just how my seasonally inspired living has given way to following the ever-changing needs and routines of an infant.
I wrote earlier this year about not wanting to give up the moon once I had a baby, to still feel connected and guided by the lunar and solar cycles that power the world. I thought the baby would be a force that untethered me from these rhythms, and I resigned to the idea that I would float through postpartum life feeling ungrounded.
I didn’t realize then that postpartum would be less an absence of ritual and rhythm, but more of an…alternate rhythmic reality. I may not be giving much thought to the moon’s path right now, but to my baby’s? Yes. The past couple months we have been in our newborn cocoon, a time in which bonding and attuning to each other is the biological priority.
I am in the tiniest of universes right now, where my home feels like the entirety of my world. Caring for a newborn, our family, our household, and myself is about as much as I can do right now. It is a humbling feeling when the fundamentals of health, like hydration and nutrition, take lead in my brain space (keeping up a milk supply really is like a full-time job).
Slowly, though, my world is expanding. Finding more confidence and footing in this new reality, brings greater capacity. Despite heading into the darker, colder months, this time of year is feeling like a second spring — as I peek my head up from hibernation to see all that’s happening around me, and to slowly start integrating more of the things that make me feel me outside of motherhood.
Things like:
Re-framing baby’s first nap of the day as an invitation to roll out my yoga mat for my own energetic reset.
Meals that feel a step above “winging it.” I’m no chef, but I do like a cooking project, and Bon Appetit is my go-to for indulgent and well-done recipes. So far, I’ve made this carrot cake for my husband’s birthday, lemon risotto, buttermilk spring chicken (inspired by the leftover buttermilk from the cake!), and these honey glazed charred brussels sprouts. Up next: almost-carbonara udon.
Staying up to watch the presidential and vice-presidential debates. I’m not watching much of anything these days, and with a newborn I’ve been aiming for earlier bedtimes. So debate nights almost feel like the Super Bowl…an excuse to stay up late, get out the good snacks, and tune into something that I know millions of others are also witnessing at the same time.
Writing…and writing and writing. This once-daily practice was a lifeline for me during the ups and downs of my pregnancy. In the immediate days after birth, it felt impossible to find a moment to jot down even a shopping list, yet I was bursting to get back to a blank page.
A brief intermission here: what habits and activities help you feel human again?
With a new baby at home, some days the goal is simply to survive. There are moments, especially in the late afternoon witching hours, when everything feels so unsettled. The crying baby, the laundry 70% folded, sink full of dishes, our dog Nala waiting to be fed, the email that still needs an attachment and send-off, the business idea I need to write down, the package still on the doorstep…all the things that have me feeling pulled in 20 different directions at once.
A helpful mental framework I’ve been adopting in these moments: closing rings. Apple Watch wearers, you’ll be familiar with the concept :) We all start our watch-wearing days with three activity rings—move, exercise, and stand—and they fill up throughout the day based on what we do. At the end of the day, if we haven’t met each ring’s goal, we’re cheered on to try to close them out.
I’ve found this a helpful way of looking at the chaos in front of me, this mantra of sorts to “close your rings!” At the end of the day, I’ll wave a white flag on starting anything new and instead focus on getting what’s already started across the finish line. (This almost always means baby-wearing so I can actually have two free hands and a few minutes of peace.)
For every little chore completed, there’s a boost in accomplishment as I envision closing its respective ring. It’s a perspective shift I enjoy — celebrating the victory of going back and finishing, rather than feeling bullied by the shame of things piling up.
With less than three months left of 2024, I’m turning my mind to other, bigger metaphoric “rings” I might close.
Some of mine include:
Getting to “book zero.” As in, finishing the books I’ve started (or making a decision to DNF, which is just as valid). I’ve been in a reading fog this year, and there’s something tempting about starting 2025 with a clean reading slate and a fresh book to crack open.
Clearing the Notion clutter. It’s no secret I’m a Notion girlie. I’m using late-night pumping sessions to refresh outdated templates, consolidate databases, and streamline my Notion spaces across business and personal. It’s the fall clean-up that is most needed.
Mapping the next phase of my business. This has been a long time in the making, and there’s still so much to dig into. But I’d love to close out 2024 with a clear articulation of the 2.0 version of my business and an activation plan to hit the ground running in January. I love crafting brand and business strategy, so this is certainly a labor of love 🖤
My rings for this final quarter of 2024 are set. What are yours?