Beyond Knitting
Dear Tortoises
I’m not a January Person.
January People started a brand new journal on January 1 and are on book five of the 50 they are planning to read this year.
They are filling exercise classes and taping WORK GOALS FOR 2025 to the wall. January People journals are full of lists and goals.
I love that for January People, and I love them … but I’m not them.
This is a love letter to everyone who is also not a January Person, along with ideas about how we might journal, accordingly.
I love the idea of a new year being a fresh start, a milestone, an opportunity to review how things are going. What I don’t love is the pressure to do it all in January.
In the Northern Hemisphere, it feels like the hardest month for starting new stuff. The plants have their energy underground in roots and bulbs, and many of our mammal cousins are wisely hibernating. I want to embrace the new year, but at my own pace. This reminds me of a favourite journal sticker featuring a tortoise and the words SLOW RUNNERS CLUB.
cherished stickers on my 2018 journal
I spent January exploring what it looks like to journal in the mood of that sticker.
Here’s what I tried.
1. Just start on the next page.
I like kind, blank pages that will take whatever I throw at them. I fill one book and then move onto the next when I run out of pages. This means I usually have a worn-in journal when January happens. My inner tortoise loves this.
There’s no pressure to begin a certain way—January just starts on the next page. If I start on January 7 instead of January 1, smudge the ink or write the wrong year (who doesn’t do this in January?) it’s no big deal: it’s just the next page.
2. Start with your thoughts, however they look, whenever you’re ready.
Scrambling to get back into a routine after the holidays, I made a rough list of wants and needs titled “brain dump.” They were the thoughts of a frazzled person with a cold, reeling from the holidays and the state of the world and trying to get back to normal life.
I mischievously noted OMG THIS LIST IS SO OVERWHELMING and ALSO THIS IS A LOT in my current favorite felt-tip pens, but hurrah: I’d made a start!
Keeping my journal funny friendly and kind
3. Make goals in miniature; do the least, not the most.
After laughing at my OMG lists, I made a small, friendly list of little things that I could manageably achieve:
- Recover from cold.
- Fix tire pressure on car (low since September 2024).
- Finish quarterly bookkeeping for January 31 deadline (Tax Authorities don’t understand about tortoises).
Triumphantly high-fiving my husband and saying NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION DONE when we fixed the tire pressure is one of my best 2025 memories so far. The cold is gone (rest and Lemsip) and I got my work stuff done before the deadline, because I wasn’t trying to do too much.
4. Write love letters, not lists.
In January, I wrote a love letter to 2024 and letters of gratitude to friends who showed up for me. Reflecting on my true loves helped me feel so much more prepared and grateful for this new year.
Dear 2024, thank you for … a passionate love letter that helped me find so many beautiful things I had forgotten about last year
5. Create inspiring reminders.
I played with my snail and tortoise rubber stamps (even carving some of my own). I wrote a poem in my journal celebrating slowness.
Creating and looking back at this page helped me feel more confident about being a slow runner and drowned out unwanted thoughts such as YOU SHOULD BE DOING ALL THE THINGS EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE EXHAUSTED.
It’s OK to go slow; ask Tortoises and Snails—they know!
6. Deschedule.
Pumped by winning at the tire pressure machine and my happy poem, I determined to do as little as possible through January.
In the blank spaces of descheduling I took sea walks. I saw a humpback whale. The whale was just a speck on the horizon, but the plumes of water coming from its blowhole and the splashes of its breaching were unmistakeable, precious, rare.
There can’t be many January People in St. Leonards because hundreds of us seemed to be meandering along the sea front that day, united in collective wonder, asking each other DID YOU SEE THE WHALE?
No amount of crushing it at the gym or smashing work goals could compare to this unscheduled moment of shared joy.
celebrating the amazing whale-sighting in my journal
My tortoise start to 2025 has been so fruitful, I’m going to stretch it out until mid-March. I’m thinking of Spring Equinox as the new New Year for all of us who need more time.
Please join me if you want to be a tortoise, too! Share your tiniest and most incremental goal, your love for something in your life right now, your favorite reminders to go slow. It’s not too late to reflect on your year, to start journaling for 2025, to get—and cherish—your thoughts on paper.
I feel so much more prepared for the new year than I have in previous years. On paper, I did less, yet I don’t feel behind. Perhaps the joy of being a slow running tortoise is this: we get there in the end, but there are more love letters and whales.
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Thank you. Love it. Appreciate this so much.
So happy this resonated for you x
Felix, your column was beautifully written and so timely for me! I took your MDK class and have a new bullet journal. I haven’t been as structured as I thought I would be! But, I leave it out and it’s become the first place I go when I want to jot down a inspiration or accomplishment or note on a film or book. As it’s begun to populate, I’m getting a sense of it’s organic value to me. Now I can start structuring indexes and lists.
I am part of a poetry workshop. I was constantly writing down a thought, idea or etc for the next poem on anything that was available ( a spiral Poetry notebook that was never around when I needed it, the back of a grocery receipt, etc. ). Never finding my notes when I needed them. This month, I revisited what I captured in my new best friend, my bullet journal…and I found the bits and bobs of inspiration that I needed to write!! I think I’m going to be the slow turtle that let’s my journaling evolve ! Your words really helped me! Thank you!
Maggie this is just wonderful to read! Hurrah for your unstructured and “new best friend” journal, where all your poetry is kept together. Love your idea to go slowly with letting your journal evolve as you need – and I’m so happy to read that it’s a comforting place for you, and somewhere to keep your precious snippets, where they won’t get lost.
More love letters!
More Whales!
More Felix!!!
Now, more knitting!
More J Diane!
Thanks for your warmth and enthusiasm and Happy Knitting! x
I love this , January for me is always wanting to just curl up under a blanket . I’m a tortoise girl too! The short days make me want to hibernate. Maybe I’m a chicken! lol ! I rise and shine with the sun!
Yes I think this year I really realised how much January is about curling up under a blanket – I am gonna pencil that in for the whole month of January 2026!
Your comment about chickens really made me laugh.
We have four young ones just under a year old. They’re up waaaay before the sun, relentlessly laid eggs all through winter, and refuse to sleep in the shed we built them. Instead they sleep out in all weathers on top of the old wooden hen house (which they also refuse to enter). They run around like giddy weasels intent on scoring treats and escaping their pen.
I feel like when you say maybe I’m a chicken, you are talking about a very different kind of hen! Like a nice sensible one who nestles in the straw-bales in the shed when it’s rainy, stops laying over the winter, and heads in to roost at sunset! I would definitely be the latter – but boy would it be good to have the joie de vie of our vivacious little chickens! Maybe I’ll aim for that for later in the spring…
Thank you for this article! I just realized I’ve been journaling for decades, but without a “journal.” My medium is sticky notes, napkins, calendars, the backs of used envelopes, etc. The thought of writing things down in a real journal is paralyzing! Spoiling all those lovely blank pages! Nothing that important ever happens to me! Perhaps taping these notes in a book will lead me to writing there as well. Sigh!
I understand the fear of ruining a pristine book!
What helped me overcome that hurdle was using a book that isn’t pre-printed with things like months or dates. The way my brain works, a massively pre-organised planner just sets me up for failure. A more open-ended, use-as-needed approach feels harder to mess up! And now I see the fancy pages as not something on which I must perform well, but as something that’s there to serve and help me.
I suspect everything you put on sticky notes, napkins and calendars is what I’d end up putting in my book! I find those little scribbled things can be profound in their own way.
I have a shopping list from the weekend, for example, when one of my brothers visited with his kids. One day when I look back and see it I’ll smile and remember that we had fajitas.
I bet some of your notes mark things that matter to you – your idea to tape some of them inside a book as a starting point is great. Why not begin with a collage? Once a few pages are covered in your notes, perhaps it won’t feel so intimidating to just write directly in the rest of the book… good luck and Happy Journaling x
Felix, this is so important for me – thank you so much. Maybe this explains why turtles are my favorite animals! (Along with cats.) I have lists from a year ago with still nothing crossed off… My only real “reason” (excuse) is that I have a chronic disease that leaves me exhausted all the time. Thanks to you I’ll be making some new, much shorter lists! Love your tire pressure story.
If you are exhausted, I suggest breathing, drinking water, and eating, if possible, are quite reasonable goals for a day. Seeing some sunshine and a flower would be a bonus. Take care. You deserve it.
Perfect timing.
I start a new volume each year, just because I always have.
Some years’ journals are way fatter than others… this year I tried a new layout and I’m grateful that it’s in pencil, and that I hadn’t laid out the entire year because it is not working as planned/hoped/expected.
Also, I need to use more stickers…
Love that you have your own rhythm and ritual of starting a journal every year! The JUST USE THE NEXT PAGE thing works so well for me, but I know loads of folks love the whole thing of a new journal for a new year. It makes so much sense, but I just need an unspecified number of pages so it’s never worked for me!
Well done for experimenting with new ways of laying out your year – and hurrah for pencil, so you can change things around when they don’t quite work as hoped. I like pens in my journal rather than pencil, but my little Tombow correction tape is one of my most used journaling items, and I’ve also had pages I didn’t like that have then be turned into a collage! You have to have room to try stuff out and for it to be no problem when it needs a change.
Yes to using more stickers – I love them. I especially love how stickers I use become little symbols or reminders or touchstones… I think especially the ones on the front of a journal, as you see them every time you pick it up. My current ones say BE KIND, Employee of the Month, and Make Mistakes (that last one looks just like an eraser!)
Happy journaling, and I hope you have a great time re-laying out your year and finding joyous stickers!
Ah, Felix! What I’ve always loved most about you is your great energy and joy. I’ve never kept a journal, but if there’s anyone who can convince me to do it, it’s you. Perhaps this year, after all.
Ah thanks for your kind words and vote of confidence!
I used to force myself to be a hare because wasn’t that what you were supposed to do?
Now I embrace my inner tortoise taking the time to watch the birds enjoy the wild grapes left on the vines, sketch, read, and knit. I am the tortoise in the swim lanes and on the bike paths but I saw the kids splashing during their lessons, the retirees enjoy the hot tub, and avoided that kamikaze squirrels that ran in front of my bike.
So timely. This morning I looked at my “journal” that I haven’t started for this year. Not that I have journals for any years. I asked myself “do I want to journal?” Do I need a new journal? The one I have has “stuff” from other years, that I wanted to remember. A trip or two. Some family information. Should I just start where I left off? Then I saw the MDK email for today. You have answered all my questions! The first thing on my “list” will be – just write something – the next will be- take the Felix journaling class that I signed up for last year!
YES!
I had a great conversation with my husband a few years ago where I was like I HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO DO WHERE DO I EVEN START and he was like JUST START SOMEWHERE. The warm assurance that there was no wrong answer about where to start was so enabling.
Sharing in case this helps you too!
I love this. Slow the f*** down!!
Thanks Felix! Your words hit home — I’ve been trying to finish two projects so I can wear them at Nash Yarn Fest but yesterday I realized trying to hurry was zapping my joy. If I finish in time, great, but the whole point is to enjoy what I’m doing –not finish to prove to myself that I’m part of a group that I’m already a part of. Am I a seventh grade girl or am I a confident and content retired person? I choose the latter. enjoy the rest of February and March!!!!
This is wonderful, Felix! And confirmation of why I loved your journaling class and have actually kept at it!! I used to feel it had to be done a certain way, which always failed for me, so I’d wait til the next January to start over! Now if I skip a day (or week), don’t do my habit tracker, or whatever I may miss, I just turn the page and keep going! I love that the “right” way is the way that works for me. How is it possible we are all just coming to this realization?? Anyway, thanks for encouraging us to be what we are and who we are. I love and appreciate your approach and your willingness to share it.
Ah thanks so much Marcia. Reading your thoughts on journaling has put such a smile on my face. Hurrah for just carrying on regardless, in spite of missed days, unfilled habit trackers or whatever else. I think the real magic lies happens when we – as you so beautifully put it – “just turn the page and keep going”. What a good metaphor for life.
Oh I love this so!!!!! You hit the proverbial nail on the head for me!!! I’ve downloaded the exercise apps, bought some new pens and washi tapes, even reading a backyard journal or two…Tan and Renkl are both fantastic authors…but I’ve not started anything new except the Pines and Needle shawl…just admiring about 10 inches. Slowly doing the things on my list for 2025!! I could probably do more if I had all of your artwork on stickers!!!! Beautiful!! Besides MDK needs to restock their journals….please!
And maybe I could plan a trip to St Leonards to go whale watching. Always takes me awhile to plan trips. Lemsip? Better go back and click that link…I might need some.
Love love love this piece!!! Thank you!!!
Ah so glad you enjoyed it and thanks for your kind words.
Is Lemsip an unusual thing where you are? It is a concoction of lemon flavouring, paracetamol and decongestant MAGIC that you dissolve in hot water and sip and I don’t know how anyone survives the winter without it. The knock off much cheaper copies are just as good. But the name Lemsip is perfect: lemon joy that you sip!
Well done on starting your pines and needles shawl – what a lovely pattern that is! Good luck with your plans, and slowly working through your list for 2025 x
Love this! Being a tortoise in a very rabbit world is not easy. Thank you for the journaling inspiration
It IS a very rabbity world isn’t it? I was feeling stressed out by all the self-improvement things in early Jan, and leaning into the way of the tortoise helped so much. I thought I couldn’t be the only one, and maybe everyone could use a dose of tortoise joy x
Dear Felix,
Maybe January should be Small Expectations month! You’re right, little goals make you feel accomplished at a time of year when all I want is to be warm and cozy. When I retired, I set a goal of doing one useful thing a day, so I make my bed daily. Then, as in January, if I read or knit all day, I’ve accomplished my goal.
Susan
Susan this is just the best advice I’ve read in years.
“Small expectations month” – yes!
Making the bed every day = goal for the day achieved.
Thanks for unlocking new levels of goal-setting self-kindness for everyone here x
Love this!
I love journals! I write in them once or maybe thrice. Then they sit there . . .
I have used small notebooks to keep track of knitting projects. Usually get one or three projects written down, all the notes. (And have found them very useful when going back to finish WIPs). But then I forget to use the notebook on the next project.
I still find myself buying journals/notebooks. And using them the same way. I’m not terribly bothered by my lack of “keeping” one going, but now I will try to just grab one and write something down. Maybe the grocery list. Maybe a knitting fact or idea. How fun for a historian to find my multitude of piecemeal journals and try to fit together a life!?!
I completely enjoyed your writing this morning! Thank you!!
I used to have so many different notebooks! But looking for the right one at the right moment – say, the knitting book, the recipe book, the gardening book – always meant I’d inevitably not have it to hand; also the idea that I could only use it for one thing was kind of prohibitive. I either forgot to go get the book, or I had the book but forgot to write in it.
Having everything in one book has really helped me to just 1. always write down the thing 2. always have the book on hand, in which to write the thing!
But everyone is different and I love the idea of all your different books with all the different bits in them, and the puzzle of a historian one day finding them and trying to piece it all together!
I too, had too many random notebooks and journals for random subjects. One thing that resonates with me about your bullet journaling style is having ALL the things in one place! No need to remember where I put the mediation journal or knitting journal or gardening notebook…..now it’s all in my BuJo!
Thank you, Felix! Your approach to Bullet Journaling changed my life in small ways at first. But the small changes made way for bigger changes in my approach to life. And I am more aware, more empowered, in charge, and satisfied more of the time. I change the way I use the journal as needed, with (okay, almost) total freedom. Sending you love, a bit of worship, and much gratitude.
Ah I’m so glad you found it helpful – this is the part that matters most: “I change the way I use the journal as needed” hurrah for that. We are always changing, it makes sense that what we need from our journal would change over time as well.
Thanks for your lovely kind words and I wish you TOTAL FREEDOM in all your future journaling ways!
I love this.
Thank you Felix–
I love that you help inspire folks and respond to their comments; your work connects us in whatever tire inflating way.
Hurrah for sharing the big and little things, and how we can connect across all of it <3
Just start on the next page, great words of wisdom! I listened to a podcast the other morning and thought of you. Da Vinci knew it—Notebooks are *the* killer app for creative thinking, https://radiowest.kuer.org/show/radiowest/2025-02-04/the-surprising-history-of-the-notebook. It was a good listen, and may have inspired a bit more doodling in my book. Thank you for the inspiration!
I’m a turtle, always have been. And in January/February my head goes into the shell:) I live in MN USA, need I say more. It can get cold even with the climate change. It’s been crazy. My son has convinced me to start journaling for the family and I’m slowly taking it on. Wish I would have years ago. It helps one reflect and actually learn from our daily events. Loved this article. Beautiful job and suggestions.
The Year always starts in September… new journal and fresh pencils…
My husband’s b day is in January, but he hurt his back and didn’t feel like celebrating, so we extended his b day into February (which is my b day, so we’ll push that into
March), then there’s mom’s and my granddaughter’s…..
If I plan this right, we’ll have 6 months of party!
I love the idea of writing a love leery to 2024. I also love the idea of Spring Equinox being the start of a new beginning too. Thanks for the reminder it’s ok to go slow.
I resolve to not only channel but honor my inner turtle! My friends used to call me the Energizer (US battery brand with an annoying pink bunny toy that never stopped banging on his drum in commercials) Bunny, one who never stopped. I realized recently that despite the contents on my mind, even I can’t stretch the truth to consider myself (at age 67) middle aged. So with thyroid disease tired and age, I am slowing down, and I like it. I loved your online course (done direct with you over a year ago), and this morning just added some collaged papers to my journal. I’m recovering my health (all it took apparently is enough Vitamin D), and look forward to a new year–when my journal is full and I need another one, but Spring Equinox is delightful too! THANK YOU for being you, Felix!
Sorry about the typos… contents OF my mind!
That made so much sense, funny and true
Thanks
I’ve adopted the sloth as my inspiration and have a t-shirt that says ” the sloth hiking club: we’ll get there when we get there.” I LOVE doing tiny little things and then crossing off my list. Yesterday I finished the edging around part of my January daily stitch journal, a very slow embroidery project. My goal was to try out a new thread, which worked well. Then happily got rid of 2 more items in my closet. And mended moth holes in one scarf, one glove and 1 1/2 socks. I felt so successful!
Brilliant article and just what I needed to hear (read)!
Felix, thank you so much for this. I really loved it, you’ve made my day, or rather, month. And yes, I have always been a slow runner…
Amazing! Thank you for this! I’m a tortoise, too (although I often try to be like a hare). My words this year are, “slow down.” I find when I do this, I do better in every way.
…and I also start journals when I reach the end of the notebook (they’re just coil-bound school notebooks, so it doesn’t matter when they start or finish), and because my work cycle actually begins in September, that’s when I really feel my fresh start is.
This was a lovely read. I am definitely a tortoise, and 2024 was a difficult year for me. But I will try to put a positive spin on it and embrace the good that did exist last year. Going slow is still going.
Oh, this speaks to me! I’ve learned to set my goals small enough that I can’t help but meet them. For example, 4 years ago I swapped out my old January exercise goals (2 workouts a day! Get up every morning at 5 am and run!) with this: change into my workout clothes at the end of my work day. Fully embracing my inner tortoise, some days I do end up on the couch with my knitting. But most days, the boost I get from meeting my goal motivates me to actually exercise. After 4 years, I now consider myself a person who exercises regularly instead of person who plans to exercise 🙂 Slow and steady wins the race for my knitting as well. Instead of silly aspirational goals (finish all-over cable sweater in a week!) I’ve learned to set incremental goals, small enough that I can reach them. The crazy part is that I actually get more done – I had 12 projects on my list for 2024, and completed 18!
I love this post and all the comments…thank you for the inspiration to embrace my inner turtle!
Or tortoise… 🙂
I’m a February person and not by choice but since my Birthday is on the 19th of the month, there you have it and I would prefer to be a Spring person as these gloomy days are not my favorites. BUT, the sun is coming up sooner and the future awaits
Aw, you share a birthday with my dad, who we all call Pops or, if we are being mischievous, Old Man Withers!
My brothers (I’ve three) and all their kids (Pops’ six grandkids) are meeting up for it – I’ve always thought of his birthday as one of those sparks lighting the way to spring 🙂
Have a good birthday!
I’m always most motivated for new beginnings in the spring, so I don’t stress about January too much. But this year I’ve actually done a lot already because I’m trying to start a new business! I’m so grateful I took your journaling class at the end of 2023—I needed the permission to make my journal whatever I wanted, and I really love keeping my whole life in the journal, lists and all! It was exactly what I needed, and in this year where I needed to get an earlier start than I usually do, my already-started journal, colorful pens, washi tape, and stickers were there for me. I’ve worked out a system that’s good for me, and I change it up whenever I need to (like when I moved across the country, took a break from work for a few months, and am now starting a new career!).
Thank you, Felix—your thoughtfulness inspires me!
Felix, will you be teaching your journaling class anytime soon?
Thank you so much for asking! My course on Bullet Journaling is always available to do in my online school, right here:
https://knitsonik.teachable.com/p/knitsonik-bullet-journaling111
This makes me happy.
Such a gorgeous page for your whale sighting!
I love reading your writing on journaling. I’ve been meaning to get back to mine for months and today was the day, so reading your post has been doubly inspirational.
P.S. LOVE your haircut! Pixie is perfect.
Felix, Thank you for this beautiful piece. It fills my heart with permission to slow down even as I sit is this long Zoom meeting that is filling my calendar with must do nows. Your journallings are beautiful and inspiring. Sally.
I just love this! I have some January friends in my life that overwhelm me. Now, I know why, because, this made me realize, I am a tortoise person. I don’t do NY resolutions. To me, January 1st is just another day. Thank you, Felix, for your suggestions.
Ditto everything Mariak said, below: all of me being in one book, all subjects, dates, etc. — and esp love, gratitude & bit of worship.
My dear friend Nan Bray, of White Gum Farm fame**, calls it “sheep time.” It’s how long things take. So yes to tortoises and snails, obvs, but I have Nan’s motto and the vision of her patient sheep as my reminder that things take as long as they take.
I am 100% down with the Equinox as my preferred New Year’s.
Felix, wishing you all the good health and well being. My favorite stickers this month on my January page: RESILIENT and YOU’RE DOING AMAZING, SWEETIE.
** https://www.whitegumwool.com.au
Sheep time = how long things take – how perfect is this?
I bet living with sheep is absolutely full of humbling reminders that the world (and especially sheep) have other ideas regarding our ambitious schedules!
But also the lovely healing wisdom of sheep, doing things in their own and patient way. Thanks for your good wishes! All good health and well being to you as well, and those stickers sound really affirming x thanks for introducing us all to SHEEP TIME!
Thank you Felix for these fresh new ideas.I took your bullet journal course and began a journal last February…..a process I’m still enjoying. I really love reading the comments….makes me feel better about missing a day using my habit tracker! Want to get more inspiration and gratitude in the journal too!
Felix, thanks for your encouragement and words of wisdom. After taking your online MDK class a few months ago, I was motivated to begin keeping a journal, however that works for me. I was just thinking about how a follow up session would be great, and your thoughts appeared!
What a great read, thank you for putting these thoughts out there! My old journal had morphed into a giant book of lists, so it made perfect sense to begin anew in January by starting with a letter/recap of 2024. Looking back, I get a better sense as to my foggy state. My husband and I sold the house we built together and raised a family in for the past 30 years. I also retired over the summer, and we moved 1500 miles to a new life. My initial (deluded) thought was I’d have all the time in the world to do all the things. I have done some things, fun things!, but not nearly to the scale I thought. Last year was crazy and stressful, and it DOES take time to unravel. Knitting helps. Journaling helps. And so does realizing that a slower pace is just fine. All the love to this great community!
In the Southern hemisphere, January feels like a tough month to start new stuff too. The sun is shining, I am outdoors and active, thinking and reflecting as I garden and walk, bbq and knit. But it’s too hot and humid for anything more. Right now I’m supposed to be writing a report – progress is very slow and your column a welcome distraction. I was thinking last week that I now feel ready for Christmas – it comes a month too soon for me. Your solstice suggestion makes sense.