How to | Make a Could-Do List Happen

Apparently only one in ten of us sticks to our New Year’s Resolutions, although here at The Simple Things, we favour Could-Do Lists rather than strict rules and ideas that work at any time of year, rather than piling the pressure on all on one day.

These tips will improve your odds of making your could-do list happen… whenever you choose to do so…

1 Resolve to make a change that you want. Success is more likely when driven by internal, rather than external forces.
2 Focus on one thing. Scientists have shown that willpower requires energy. Channel it well.
3 Be specific about what you want to achieve, when and how. You’re more likely to succeed than if starting with a vague plan.
4 Tell those around you. In a study, more than 70% who sent weekly updates on their goal to a friend reported success (compared to 35% of those striving alone).
 

And here are a few ideas for things you might want to add to your 2025 Could-Do List…

• Mix a great martini 

• Book a trip somewhere on your bucket list

• Read a book by an author you’re unfamiliar with

• Spend a day wildlife-watching… birds, badgers.. it’s up to you

• Have a small party for no reason at all

• Spend time outdoors every day

• Learn a new craft

• Get a penfriend or strike up a correspondence with an old friend

• Go on a ‘pilgrimage’ to somewhere meaningful for you

• Use local ingredients to make a local recipe

• Watch a film in the open air or at a drive-through

• Keep a diary for a month and keep the habit if you enjoy it

This blog was first published in December 2018. You’ll find a Could-Do list in every issue of The Simple Things. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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Think | Fresh, slow starts

We hope 2022 has been happy and healthy for you. As well as reflecting on the year just gone, we’re looking forward to all that 2023 might bring, as you’ll see from the back cover of our January issue, above. But we always think it’s a mistake to pile pressure on yourself with ambitious plans for resolutions and the like.

If you find five minutes free today, you could spend it writing down a few ‘one day at a time’ plans - simple things you’re hoping to do, enjoy, see or achieve in the coming year and put it away in an envelope to look at this time next year.

If you’d like to, why not listen to our Fresh Start playlist while you write to inspire you? You can listen to it here.

A very happy new year to you all. Here’s to enjoying the future slowly.

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January | Could-do lists

We do love a list, but most of all, we love a no-pressure, just-for-fun list

Here at The Simple Things, we bring you a Could-do List every month. It’s just a few suggestions for things you might like to do in the coming weeks. We don’t believe in ‘to-do’ or worse ‘must-do’ lists, so we hope our ideas are more gentle inspiration. You might do one or two things, you might do them all, or you might do none at all. There’s no pressure; that’s the beauty of a Could-do List. 

Above is our January Could-do List - we hope you find some inspiration there. And because it’s the start of a new year, we asked some of the Simple Things team to share their ‘Could-do’ thing for 2022. Please feel free to share yours in the comments below.

“My could do for 2022 is to waste more time; do more pottering, ambling, wandering and dreaming. Inspired by that phrase we had on a chalkboard once: ‘Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time’.”
Lisa Sykes, Editor

“Getting more sleep.”
Karen Dunn, Commissioning Editor

“We're going to decorate and rearrange the spare room to make it a 90%-of-the-time home office and 10%-of-the-time guest bedroom instead of the other way round, as it is now.”
Joe McIntyre, Art Director

“To set aside time specifically to finish my embroidery (a lockdown hobby purchase).”
Abbie Miller, Sub Editor

“To become a member of my local hotel swimming pool. I swim regularly at a municipal pool but I want to go somewhere with silly fluffy robes and free shampoo that makes me feel like I’m on holiday.”
Iona Bower, Editor at Large

“Make a lockdown photobook with all the pics we took out on walks, of the kids doing home school projects and us all with long crazy hair!”
Rebecca Frank, Wellbeing Editor

“I want to switch my savings and current account over to bank with strong ethics or at least know where my money is being invested.”
Frances Ambler, Deputy Editor

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January | a could-do list

We hope you might find some inspiration in our January ‘snug’ could-do list.

Here at The Simple Things we don’t believe in ‘to-do lists’ and all their associated pressures. But we are very much in favour of could-do lists… ideas for things we might see, do, experience or make. Much of the joy of them is simply in the anticipation. It doesn’t matter if you do them or not. The act of creating a list and mulling it over is pleasurable in itself.

And there’s never a better time thatn January to make your own could-do list, with a new month, a new year and a metaphorical blank page in front of you. Borrow some ideas from ours, make your own, or just read and enjoy. And share yours with us below if you’d like. What could you do this January ?

Wishing you a very snug and hopeful 2021, from all of us at The Simple Things.

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New Year’s Resolutions

No need to get out of bed just yet…

New year, new you, right? But just how long will your resolve last? Before you take the plunge, check out the ECT (Estimated Commitment Time) for these top five resolutions.

● ‘I will exercise three times a week.’
Jogging in January. What could be wrong with that plan? 
ECT: two weeks.

● ‘I will only drink alcohol at the weekends.’ 
January again. What other time in the year are you going to need a pint of Malbec more? 
ECT: one week.

● ‘No more chocolate!’ 
Yes, that means no hot chocolate, too. Or the kids’ leftover variety packs. Or mints. We don’t care if they’re only wafer thin! 
ECT: two to three weeks.

●‘I’m giving up swearing.’ 
Your car won’t start in the dark at half six on a freezing morning. What do you say? Exactly. 
ECT: one week.

● ‘I will meditate every morning.’
Yeah, or you could just have an extra ten minutes in bed. 
ECT: four days.

Resolution to read more? Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

From our January issue…

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Tipple: cheering cider cocktail

Entertaining this evening? Warm your guests’ tummies and souls with this rustic winter tipple

Serves 6
1l fresh apple cider
750ml dry red wine
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 oranges, thinly sliced
1 apple, sliced
4 whole cloves

1 Combine all ingredients (reserving 6 orange slices) in a large saucepan and warm on a medium heat for 10 mins, stirring continually.
2 Once gently bubbling, let it cool slighty and pour into (heatproof) glasses, serve with a slice of orange over the glass and a sprig of rosemary as a stirring stick.

This cocktail recipe is from our January issue’s Gathering feature for a Twelfth-Night-inspired party. The issue is on sale now or you can buy it online.

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Hangover-busting body oil

It’s worth having this uplifting body oil ready for those dreaded hangovers that can take you by surprise at this time of year. After the first obvious step of a bacon sarnie, try taking a hot shower, then applying this soothing tonic

Things you’ll need:
3 tbsp jojoba oil
3 tbsp almond oil
8 drops eucalyptus essential oil
8 drops peppermint essential oil
8 drops lavender essential oil
4 drops tea tree essential oil
4 drops geranium essential oil

1 This is the easiest of recipes. Simply combine all the oils in a glass bottle and shake until they’re mixed and ready. Use this body oil after a refreshing shower and, voilà, hangover no more!

Why this works...
Eucalytpus is invigorating and purifies the body. Peppermint supports digestion, improves focus, boosts energy, helps to clear headaches and eases muscle pain. Soothing lavender has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Tea tree reduces bad odours and can help to stimulate the immune system. Geranium helps skin to stay healthy. Jojoba oil contains vitamin E and has high levels of antibacterial iodine. Almond oil calms irritation and is moisturising. 

Taken from All Natural Beauty by Karin Berndl and Nici Hofer (Hardie Grant). 

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Pukkapedia: Herbs to help rebalance

Many of us take the new year as a cue to give our bodies an MOT, with rebalancing what we eat as good a place as any to start. Nature’s medicine cabinet contains many cleansing plants.

Fennel, a key ingredient of Pukka’s Detox tea, is great for easing nausea and indigestion and can help to reduce the other physical effects of alcohol. A warm cup of fennel tea will help to relieve digestive ailments, making it a handy hangover tonic and a gentle cleanser.

Marvellous matcha
Matcha is made from a special type of powdered green tea. It’s packed full of antioxidants which help to fight free radicals built up by pollution, exposure to alcohol and those not-so-healthy party foods. Sip this tea, perhaps with a squeeze of lemon, the next time you feel the need to rebalance your body. Or try Pukka’s Clean Matcha Green.

Turn to page 15 of January’s The Simple Things for more rebalancing herbs, including Mint, Ginger, Rosemary, Chamomile, Parsley and Turmeric.

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View the sampler here.