

Rachel's blog: A Cold Cup of Tea
Last night I made a cup of tea and I'll be honest it was a good one!
I used my one of my favourite mugs, I let it brew for a while and added just the right amount of milk. I was really pleased with how it turned out, which sounds funny but sometimes a good cup of tea really is just what you need.
Anyway, I sat down with my cup of team and my laptop (I know what you’re thinking – that’s the first mistake!) ready to check a few life-admin tasks off my mental list. Before I knew it, 40 minutes had passed, and devastated, I realized I had been so distracted by what was on my laptop that I'd completely forgotten my cup of tea. Of course, by this point it was cold.
It really was quite a sad moment and it sounds daft but I feel like it was a poignant one for me.
We'll all have ‘cold cups of tea’ things in our lives, I think. Those things we are waiting on to happen to us or perhaps things we want to action but are waiting for ‘the right time’. Maybe it looks like doing some decoration around your house or even buying a new house. It could be going on a trip somewhere exotic or just getting away locally to somewhere new. Perhaps it’s taking up a new hobby you’ve been thinking about trying. It could even be as significant as starting a family.
If you’re anything like me, you have probably done some of the initial steps to prepare for those things, maybe researched or upskilled yourself somehow, but then we get distracted with what's in front of us; with work commitments, family responsibilities, the general mundanity of life.
And we let our tea go cold.
I know for myself I’ve missed out on some of those opportunities or experiences because I’ve allowed myself to be distracted and have put things off. Now, please hear me, sometimes we are completely right to let a particular cup of tea go cold – it’s about giving ourselves grace when the basic things in life feel like a challenge. I also believe that it’s never too late to make a new cup of tea or – quell horror – re-heat an existing cup in the microwave! The key is drinking the tea when it’s hot.
At the start of this year, I decided to consider ‘standards’ for myself (rather than goals) and I’ve put them into four categories – movement, creativity, professional and personal. Sticking with my tea metaphor, these standards are my priority hot cups of tea that I don’t want to let get cold. Some are simple and easy – bake something once a month. Others require more commitment and planning. But all of them are things that align with who I want to be and will help me get the best out of myself this year. Who knew a cup of tea could create such an epiphany.
And on that note, this blog has made me thirsty so I’m off to put the kettle on…!
Rachel is a commercial property lawyer who has worked in a range of private practice firms as well as inhouse. Rachel sees great value in building legal community and the sharing of ideas, both to support more efficient working as well as prioritising wellbeing and satisfaction in our legal careers. She’s passionate about motivating and mobilising those around her to make a positive impact in the legal sector and the wider world. Rachel loves to travel and spends the occasional spare minute day-dreaming about her next adventure.
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