I love January, but I found this one hard. Not because of No Plans Jan—that gets easier every year. But because it’s been a period of transition. Matteo and I are back in Sydney. We’re staying in Sydney. And that still feels surreal to say out loud.
This month, I’ve been thinking a lot about place. The place you live, and how you live within it. How to make space for what matters. How to find flow. How to cultivate resonance (my new favourite word). And how to sit with the discomfort of not knowing where you’ll end up.
I share what I learnt this month below and talk openly about it here. 🎧
Things I learnt in January
01. Make space for flow.
Creativity isn’t something you can squeeze into the gaps of a busy day. It needs continuous time, free from distractions.
02. Protect rest like a work of art.
Rest is something you have to actively protect. Judith Shulevitz explains that Shabbat, or the Sabbath, is a day set apart to create space for rest. Like a frame around a painting, it says: This is worth protecting.
03. Readers don’t have more time—they make time.
Read on the tube. Read while having a pedicure. Read when you’re early. Read when they’re late. Read when you forget your charger. Read on your lunch break. Read under a tree. Read on a rainy afternoon. Read before bed.
04. Make haste slowly (Festina lente) — Augustus
The gap between where you are and where you want to be can feel uncomfortable. It’s tempting to rush to close it, to cut corners just to get to the other side. The real skill lies in moving with patience and intention—accepting where you are while taking small, deliberate steps forward.
05. Learn to stop, not because it’s done, but because it’s time.
There’s a constant push to “finish” everything. It feels good when things are done. But it never really ends. There will always be more to do. There’s an art to learning how to relax in the thick of it all. The Benedictine monks worked until the bell rang—not because all their tasks were done, but because it was simply time to stop.
06. Resonance is a feeling of being part of the world.
When I feel disconnected—like I’m standing outside my own life—I realise what I’m searching for is resonance. That sense of being part of the world, in conversation with it. Resonance is found in a swim in the sea, the awe of watching the sunrise, the flow of a meaningful conversation. An honest, reciprocal exchange that makes the world feel alive again.
🎧 Listen to this week’s podcast on Apple or Spotify.
As always, I’d love to hear what you think.
JYK 🤍
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