Wednesday 2nd April 2025 - A Gentle Reset – Rebuilding Day One

“I am allowed to slow down. I honour my energy and trust that rest is part of the rebuild.”

Today marks the beginning of a deeply personal chapter for me. Although it might look like a small entry in the grand calendar of life, today is a cornerstone — the first of many where I document not only the visible parts of my business journey, but the quieter, internal changes too.

This post may not seem dramatic on the surface, but its meaning is layered: rebuilding doesn’t always begin with a bang. Sometimes, it starts with a bath.

Showing Up, Even Without the Routine

I didn’t meditate after work today — something I’ve come to rely on lately to centre myself and mark the transition between my work day and my creative time at home. Instead, I opted for something different. As I walked through the door, I was already feeling a bit unbalanced. And perhaps the comments at work didn’t help — a few colleagues casually noted that I looked tired, and mentioned that I had some stubble, which is unusual for me.

That feedback might sound superficial, but it was actually very grounding. It reminded me of two things: how I’m perceived outwardly, and how important it is for me to take a moment for myself. I didn’t feel bad — I felt aware. And that’s a good thing.

So instead of pushing through a pre-planned routine, I listened to myself. I ran a bath. Not just any bath — the kind where you sink in, breathe, and let go. Afterwards, I shaved, returning to my familiar, clean look — not for anyone else, but because it felt right to do it for myself. There’s power in personal grooming, not as a chore, but as a form of care.

Small Wins in Business: The Hartlepool Headland Logo Project

Later in the evening, I had a call with the Hartlepool Headland Parish Council. I’d recently designed a logo for them, and today they gave me their thoughts. The feedback was so positive that I actually found myself smiling through most of the call. They loved what I had done — a relief, as this particular project is one I feel deeply connected to. The Headland is such a historic and charming part of the town, and capturing that essence visually is a meaningful task.

Their tweaks were clear and straightforward: adjust the scale of a few elements, and swap in a more traditional typeface. Rather than wait, I jumped straight on it. There’s a kind of momentum that follows when feedback is both respectful and constructive. Within the hour, I’d made the changes and sent the revised version back to them.

Now I wait to hear back — fingers crossed it’s a hit. If it is, we move onto the next stage: the website. And I’m excited for that. Because these community-focused projects are exactly the kind of design work that keeps me inspired. It’s where heritage meets technology, and I get to be part of that bridge.

Being Present Without Perfection

What made today special wasn’t that I crossed off dozens of tasks from a to-do list. In fact, I didn’t. What made today meaningful is that I let myself be in it. I accepted that my usual routine wasn’t the answer this evening, and I replaced it with self-awareness and care.

It might sound counterintuitive, but sometimes skipping a practice like meditation to honour another part of your wellbeing is a form of mindfulness. Today, my bath was my meditation. The warmth, the quiet, the ritual of returning to myself — these moments ground me just as deeply as breathwork or journaling.

Today wasn’t loud or flashy. It wasn’t bursting with to-do list accomplishments or major breakthroughs. But it was exactly what it needed to be: a quiet, solid first brick laid in this new rebuild.

The power of these quieter days is that they hold space for who you are becoming. I didn’t meditate today, and that’s okay — because I showed up, I worked with intention, I responded to feedback with care, and I looked after myself in the ways that I needed.

That is the very essence of this chapter — not doing everything, but doing the right things. And today, I did.

What I Learned Today

• Being tired isn’t a failure — it’s a message.

• Looking after yourself isn’t selfish, especially when it’s gentle and restorative.

• Work doesn’t need to be frantic to be productive. Today, one logo revision carried more meaning than 20 rushed tasks.

• Feedback is a gift when it’s given with kindness — and it can energise creativity.

• Shaving can be self-care, and so can skipping the "shoulds" in favour of the "needs

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