Louise Thompson: Winter projects

I love this as an energy booster in the winter. Make a list of five of those jobs you have been putting off and putting off (you know the ones). Legitimately putting them off in the summer ... because why would you be doing anything but being at that family barbecue/out on the water/playing cricket with the kids? Of course you wouldn’t. Summer trumps all.

However, as the nights draw in and we hunker down this could be the perfect time to create those family photo albums that you have been promising yourself you would do for the past six years. It could be the ideal time to teach your littlie to play chess. It could be the opportunity you have been waiting for to stop procrastinating on that online course you bought into and actually implement the principles you have been taught. That book club you have been putting off joining? Join it. Building that bike rack thing in the garage you have been banging on about forever? Build it. Winter means “now is your time”.

Winter is an amazing opportunity for us to stop and take stock. Look at what we are normally “too busy” for, or that we “will get round to” one day. And make that the now. There are two big benefits to employing this strategy in winter: firstly you get the obvious bang for your buck of the finished project, but secondly it’s a huge energy booster just at the time of the year when our energy reserves are generally lower.

Getting things off the eternal to-do list and into the pleasing category of “done”, not only means they are done, but it means they are not a silent energy-sucker in the background. You will be amazed at how much of a sense of achievement you get from crossing off some of your “one day” projects while the temperatures drop outside. Pick one thing and commit to it today.

Life coach Louise Thompson helps people unlock their happiest and healthiest life. Find more at louisethompson.com