No. 36 - Savouring Tea and Goals
As 2024 draws to a close, there's no better time to cozy up with a beautiful cup of tea and reflect on the past year while setting intentions for the year ahead. This ritual combines my two loves: tea and planning. Today, I’m sharing my practices and some new-found tips to help you embrace the new year with clarity and calm.
Before I get started, a quick note of gratitude to this growing community of tea lovers. Starting with a tiny group in February to over 320 e-mail subscribers today, you’ve made this journey incredibly rewarding with your kind words and continued support. Thank you for allowing me and my tea musings into your inbox or your mobile or computer screen — it’s a privilege I deeply appreciate. So, from my family to yours, Happy New Year! May 2025 bring you plentiful blessings and many calming cups of tea.
On Tea Rituals for Inspired Planning
I absolutely LOVE a good planning session. Each week, I carve out time for intentional planning accompanied, of course, by one of my favourite teas (today, it’s the lovely and very tippy Imperial Keemun Mao Feng). Here’s my simple process to create momentum:
Reflect and Reset:
I like to sit with a cup of tea and run through the calendar, see what is upcoming, identify what might have slipped that needs attention, and block off the usual / recurring item time slots like shop hours, family activities, and dinnertimes.
Prioritize with Purpose and Plan:
Highlighting my top actions for the week (no more than three… because otherwise I’m notoriously optimistic) and structuring them into the calendar is my attempt to I feel I have a modicum of control and space for any unanticipated adventures. It also helps me to see where I’m setting myself up for disappointment, because it turns out there are actually only 14 useful hours in my day (a calming cup of tea like Nightcap or TranquiliTEA before bed, 8 hours of sleep, and a cup of First Light on rising being non-negotiable).
Moving from ‘To Do’ to ‘Implementation Planning’ (with Tea)
A weekly planning ritual is my attempt to move from the standard ‘infinite to do’ list, which was, to be perfectly honest, ridiculously unachievable, to an approach more likely to generate real momentum. If you’ve ever underestimated how long something will take (like repainting a tea trolley), you’re not alone. It’s called the planning fallacy and affects us all. But according to Sander Koole and Mascha van't Spijker the solution is not to water down our expectations, but to change our approach. In their paper on “Overcoming the planning fallacy through willpower”, the Danish psychologists point to some concrete actions to let us keep our optimistic plans and bring them to fruition a little quicker.
Make it Concrete:
Form concrete "if-then" plans that specify when, where, and how you will take action. Goal: Create new tea blend for Valentine’s Day. Concrete action: Monday, December 30th at 10 am, flavour mapping session in the studio – preparation of dry and steeped tea ingredients followed by tasting and preliminary blending.
Start Early(ier):
Start early and set deadlines for beginning as well as completing tasks. After all, if you never boil the kettle, you can’t make the tea. And, when possible, move the start sooner on the calendar to leverage the benefits of momentum.
Defend Against Distraction:
Think about what could get in the way. By considering what distractions are likely, we can (try) to avoid them. Tidy your space the day before, let your family know you’d like not to be disturbed. Working on a larger plan? Grab a cup of ClariTEA and make a list of all the things that might delay or derail your plans so you can avoid those before they occur.
Perhaps by using some of these “implementation planning” strategies we can keep our optimism and meet those crazy goals this year!
What are your favourite ways to plan and reflect? Let me and your fellow tea lovers know in the comments below or drop by the shop at The Langford Station (we're open Wed - Sun 11-5) for a chat and quick cuppa! And if you’re looking for the perfect tea to fuel your next planning session, check out our collection of blends designed for inspiration and calm.
One more thing...
"The future cannot be predicted, but futures can be invented."
– Dennis Gabor, Inventing the future
Until next time,
Steep Calm.
Bree
