I’m the type of person who loves a routine. I also love having a calm and simple life with a lot of free time and very little stress or drama. Living in rural Saskatchewan and working for myself gives me all of that: easy, peaceful days and the freedom to fill them however I wish.
Unfortunately, you can’t spell “routine” without “rut.” And I’ve been stuck in one.
When you live in the middle of nowhere, life can start to feel a little… same-y. In my tiny town (population: 372), there just aren’t a lot of amenities or ways to add novelty to my routine.
And winter makes it worse. When I started writing this post, it was 24°F and windy here, but it was 64°F and sunny for my friends and family back home in Iowa. When I sat down to continue writing it, we’d just had 13 fresh inches of snow. (The other day, my husband turned to me and said, “Wouldn’t it be crazy to live somewhere where the weather is, like, nice all year?” 😂)
In the winter, my routine involves a lot of time indoors, mostly sedentary. It’s not good for my physical or mental health, and it also saps my creativity. Winter should be a perfect time to enjoy cozy hobbies, but I struggle to start new projects. I spend a lot of time lying around watching TikTok for “inspiration” and adding ideas to my Pinterest boards instead of actually making something.
I become the literal textbook definition of Newton’s first law: an object at rest remains at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced force.
But the key to overcoming my stuck feeling is right there, too: I need some sort of force to get me moving — moving physically, but also mentally and creatively. Specifically, I need an “unbalanced” force that’s stronger than the metaphorical gravity that has me rooted to my rut.
My husband tends to have the opposite relationship with inertia. He’s an object in motion that stays in motion. He does not get stuck in analysis paralysis when it comes to starting new creative projects. So, I asked for advice: “When you have a lot of ideas, how do you decide what to do next?”
He just shrugged and repeated his favorite motto: “Don’t think, just do.”
Is it that simple?
I decided to give it a try. Instead of spending yet another afternoon collecting ideas for future projects, I cleared the kitchen table and started working on one of my Christmas gifts — a book nook model kit.
I love miniatures and models, but I’ve never really built my own. It was so fun to put together tiny bookshelves and wrap tiny books with tiny stickers. It felt great to work with my hands instead of being stuck in my head. It was also great to get some dopamine without a screen.
I’m not saying this one activity changed my life, but it was a step in the right direction. It got me unstuck for an afternoon and (hopefully) loosened gravity’s grip on me for future decisions. It was a way to practice just doing something enjoyable without trying to optimize for the best, most enjoyable choice and ending up doing nothing much at all.
I’m also not discounting the struggles of winter, and I respect that it’s a season for rest and dormancy. But I don’t want to waste half of every year (winter lasts a very long time in Saskatchewan) lying around longing for spring and summer.
So, I’ll keep looking for ways to stay in motion, in every sense of the word:
I got some traction spikes to wear on my boots, so I can go on winter walks without worrying about slipping
I keep Rachel Bicha’s “Winter Hobby Bingo” handy as an analog list of winter activity ideas (helps prevent the endless Pinterest scrolling for “inspo”)
I recently bought Just Dance for my Nintendo Switch, so I have an indoor exercise option other than the treadmill
I’m limiting my screentime with the help of the free Foqos app
Right after I schedule this post, I’m going to my local library for a fused glass class! Last year, I made this sunflower suncatcher:
Do you struggle to stay in motion (physically, mentally, creatively) through the winter months? I would love to hear your thoughts and tips!
See you next week,
Kara
Kara Detwiller is a writer and creative based in small-town Saskatchewan. She specializes in long-form content writing for enterprise SaaS, cybersecurity, and manufacturing clients. She is also working on her first novel, among other creative pursuits. To connect, reply to this email or find Kara on LinkedIn.
Why Wishful Working? I want to help people thrive in a world obsessed with work and productivity. Together, we’re expanding the definition of productivity, rediscovering life balance, and exploring the many kinds of work that make life possible.
