Begin with the end in mind.
NEWSLETTER #1 January 2023
Hello from the end of the beginning*.
So that was January.
The month to start new things, try again, make a change, get stuff done. Or maybe a moment to lay low and practice the art of ‘wintering’; resting, rejuvenating, renewing - or retreating in difficult times.
Whilst in the spirit of wintering I’ve enjoyed rising with the 7.30am sun and not my 7.00am alarm, perhaps inevitably, I’ve also been thinking about beginnings.
I’ve never really done New Year’s resolutions (despite being a big believer in the power of goals), so this year I thought about them a little differently. Getting realistic about what I’m not going to do, so I can focus on what I am going to do. Or not even framing them as things to do at all, but as ways of being. Conceiving my ambitions in sweeps of time that stretch beyond the next 12 months; so in effect, the whole year becomes a beginning.
One long-held ambition I am beginning this year is to write; hence this newsletter. It’s only taken me the best part of two decades to get around to it. If only I’d heeded sooner the advice of the many great writers I had the privilege of working with over the years at Paines Plough: don’t get it right; get it written. Your only duty is to turn up at the page.
At Paines Plough, January was always the month we staged our annual away-day; a powerful moment in our organisational calendar. A chance to take stock, celebrate each other and set our collective sights on ambitious goals for the year ahead. The best away days are transformative.
So having reached the end of the beginning, I’ve come full circle and decided to begin with the end in mind. We can do anything, but not everything. If we trust tenacity will come later, then choosing what to do is the hard part.
Beginning with the end in mind means learning to say no to everything except what is most important to you.
And figuring out what’s most important to you can be a life’s work.
But I reckon it’s worth figuring that out and making those choices sooner or later; and it’s generally better to start sooner, rather than later. And later rather than never.
Inwards, onwards and upwards,
George
*So if January is the end of the beginning, what’s next? It turns out January and February are relatively new inventions; the Roman calendar ran from March to December. No wonder things often feel like they’re only properly getting going in March. So maybe February is like a bonus month. It doesn’t really count. It’s a free hit. Have fun with it.
PS. Thank you for reading. This is my first monthly newsletter. I hope it won’t be my last. If you’d like something like this in your inbox every month, subscribe here. Please let me know if you’ve found anything useful in here and what you’d like more or less of. It would be a big encouragement. I’ll aim to be back in your inbox in a month’s time with more invitations, ideas and inspirations to keep you moving from where you are to where you want to be. And you can always reach me directly on george@george-perrin.com. I would love to hear from you.
