​

WELCOME TO THE METTĀ VIEW

Essential insights on brand storytelling, coaching, conscious communication & the future of work (with a mindful lens), written with love by Anne V Mühlethaler ✨

How to tackle the year’s unfinished business, and the Digest 🗞️

​

I’ve been in a state of constant negotiation for weeks, and I’ve been wondering why I feel so tired at the end of the day. Go figure! Who have I been arguing with, you may wonder? Myself. Let me explain.

At any given moment during my waking hours, I’m pulled by a plethora of options for how I could (or should) be spending my time.

Six years ago, when I began studying contemplative practices like yoga and mindfulness, I discovered the power of setting aside regular time to reflect on life. That realisation marked a significant shift for me.

Since then, I’ve learnt that reflecting on what truly matters — and using a few simple tools — can help cut through the chaos. Let me share some of these with you, but first, let me paint a picture of what this inner negotiation looks like.

My never-ending to-do list is a constant source of inner conflict, pulling me in different directions as I try to decide what to prioritise.

Perhaps this sounds familiar?

An inner voice orders: “It’s time, do this!” Another part of me goes: “Ugh, no, absolutely not, I’d rather XYZ. Much more important.” A third voice joins the conversation: “Na-ah! Finish what you started!” And it goes on, and on, and on. There are many of those voices.

Working from home — even with a dedicated office — intensifies the inner chatter. A quick trip to the kitchen for water can trigger a cascade of distracting thoughts: 'Ooooh, I should really glue back the broken leaves of my Mexican ceramic pineapples' (terribly delicate), 'oh, I should call the electrician about the chewed-up camera charger (thanks, dog)', or 'oooh! Time to track down my sewing kit to fix those buttons on my winter coat'. Each glance around the house reminds me of what else I could be doing.

With the year’s end approaching, I and millions of stressed souls put ourselves under pressure to deliver on projects and objectives within a month that’s half as short as every other. You may be aware that I love goal setting, which I advocate for all year, but in December, it can make my mood plummet all the way into my fake fur slippers.

It’s like being a footballer sprinting toward the goal, only to hear the whistle blow just before you can score. That sinking disappointment? It’s all too familiar. But what I’ve learned is that the emotional toll of unmet goals doesn’t have to derail us. Instead, I try to shift focus to the small wins, those moments of forward momentum. Progress doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to be visible. Showing up, taking even the smallest actions, and finding ways to celebrate those steps can turn frustration into fuel.

The goals, the pressure, are at times external: we have to meet deadlines at work, family commitments, or even that dreaded tax return. However, the objectives that weigh on me the most, the ones that matter to my soul or my heart, are the ones set between me and me.

It’s unpleasant to let others down, but I find it excruciating to let myself down. And yes, it happens more often than I’d like to admit.

The negotiating I have been observing between the different parts of me intensifies in this holiday context. So many things to get right. Also, I’m already planning for next year, so I can start 2025 feeling like I’m on top of my life. The world’s already dark enough: so the promise of organisation, of forward movement and future action, is a reprieve to my disappointed mind.

Between the real-time crunch imposed by the holiday break, the inner chatter, and the endless to-dos, December’s a month when we can easily feel like we’re not accomplishing anything meaningful at all.

In moments of overwhelm, I’ve learned that small shifts in perspective can make a world of difference. For example, the other week, I shared a tactic that has proven helpful: planning for the most exhausted version of ourselves.

Building on that, I want to share two more tools that have served me well this season. One of them was even highlighted in Dense Discovery, a fantastic newsletter by Kai Brach, where I had the honour of being featured this week (issue #318, read below).

The second is an ‘end-of-year reflection’ session I’ll be hosting online between Christmas and New Year. It’s a quiet, nourishing exploration designed to help us pause, reflect, and gather insights from the past year. You can join me live, catch the recording on my soon-to-launch YouTube channel, or download a guide to do it at your own pace. Details are on the landing page here.

We collectively tend to forget what we’ve achieved even two weeks ago, or a month. Pausing to look back is an eye-opener of a practice. From this place, we get to start fresh into a new year.

Ready to do it all again, goals and all. After all, it’s hard to move forward without something clear to reach for.

Sign up here to join me for this end-of-year reflection. And yes, you can also find out more about Dreamscaping and Goal-setting in this link, coming back in January.

...

Also, below you'll find the latest Digest. Enjoy!
​
As always, thank you for reading me; I never take it for granted. Have a good one, and drop me a line if this resonates with you.

Much love

​

Quote

Looking around

Culture and things in the zeitgeist, or things I read that make me happy

Ticketing for humanity? If you thought that Ticketmaster and Live Nations were terribly overpriced and delivered a bad customer experience, you might be keen to explore what Humanix has to offer. The company has already donated 8.5 million dollars since it launched.

​Holding space for the feminist inspiration behind the original book, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Americans may be divided when it comes to politics, but they are united in their love/lust for the CEO shooter. As Jimmy Kimmel joked: “So many women and so many men are going nuts over how good-looking this killer is. And there’s a huge wave of horny washing over us right now.” Bless.

I love a good gadget. None on this list of the top 10 of 2024 by Dezeen isn’t making my Christmas stocking list, but they are fun to read about. Although I could be persuaded to shell out for a Clicks Keyboard…

I’m about to trial Le Cinema Club, a curated online streaming platform that offers a single film to watch for free every week. Supported by the ever-present Chanel. Now showing: Hotel New York.

Looking out

Fashion, retail, design, digital and consumer communication trends

Do you trust digital platforms? Seth Godin is weary of them, and I trust him. He asks ‘who owns your words.’ Do you know?

​The one article you need to read about AI this month.

On my listening list, Hitmakers, a new podcast by Ana Andjelic and Rei Inamoto. The new show is born from Andjelic’s new eponymous book and work recently done at Banana Republic and Esprit. She explains: “Every two weeks, Rei and I will talk about brands making a dent in culture - through their products, aesthetics, content, business models or technology - and unpack how they did it.” Listen here.

Fashion’s commitment to cutting carbon footprint is horrifyingly low. The FT reports that more than a quarter of the companies committed to sustainability initiatives have failed to set basic targets. Others have apparently quietly quit.

If you or your company buys ads online, you’re (finally) in luck. The first regulations targeting the digital advertising industry are arriving.

Looking in

Conscious work, mindful leadership and personal development, podcasts or book recommendations

On my list (I’m halfway through it) is this NYT article on an essential part of women’s health: the hysterectomy. Lots of grey areas around there. A must-read and must be passed on to women of all ages.

Want to connect, or reconnect, during the holidays? Practising deep curiosity could be the barrier breaker you could embrace to see humanity across family or other divides.

I just finished the beautiful book There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak, which takes place in Mesopotamia across a couple of centuries. For this reason, this article caught my attention. AI could be the tool that scholars needed to finally piece together the epic poem of Gilgamesh. More magical if you read the book. Perhaps you should!