A very Happy New Year to you all.
As I write, we're embarking on our second working week of 2018. I wondered how your January is shaping up?
As you can see, we had quite the White Christmas here in Rutland...
Of course, that seems some time ago now. I wonder if, like me, as 2017 became 2018 you told yourself that this was going to be the year when everything changed? That, overnight, all those little things that nag away at you, be it diet, drinking, spending habits, or perhaps that one thing you always wanted to do but haven't got round to doing yet, would suddenly be tackled?
I think many of us find ourselves in the same boat every January, over-promising and over-committing ourselves in a way that (more often than not) stores up disappointment for the year to come. So let me be the first to say, on behalf of us all, that the most important thing is to be kind to yourself and to one another, and to take each day as it comes.
For our business it's essential to plan ahead, but we still try to take things one day at a time. Once you have a solid, realistic plan to work to, you've got a way to see how (or even if) you're achieving your goals, but incremental progress is always more likely to succeed than the 'shock and awe' approach, so just remain focused on daily achievements and don't let the bigger picture overwhelm you. That said, there's no harm in a 'big push' every now and then, whether that's in the gym or the office (and I write those words as someone who's been to the gym every day of this year so far!)
We have lots of exciting things planned for Catesbys this year. Our business continues to grow, thanks to your support, and we'll be building on that this year by bringing you more new products than ever, along with tales of our life in the English countryside. We're also working on an exciting new Christmas project. Having only just taken our Christmas decorations down, I realise it's a bit too early for that kind of talk, so we'll come back to that topic later in the year.
Something I would love to share with you is news of an event we're planning to hold in May, The Rutland Brocante. As many of you know, we've spent a lot of time in France over the years, and we've gathered an impressive collection of beautiful brocante finds along the way. So we're excited to be holding our first antiques fair here at Catesbys HQ in the company of our dealer friends and a hand-picked selection of like-minded businesses. It promises to be great fun, with lots of opportunities for browsing, bargaining and buying, plus delicious refreshments to keep us all going.
We do hope you can join us, the dates for your diary are Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th May. Stay tuned for more details and be sure to join our mailing list to find out more.
Until next time, remember to be kind to yourself and others as we navigate the darkest weeks of the year together. Remember, Summer will be here before we know it!