A report on January
Reflecting on the rooting of the month past, and setting sights high for what's ahead
All over my social media feeds this week have been memes like this. I’ve definitely seen them in years past; too — there’s something about January that seems to dredge on and on. My non-scientific guesses for why this is are:
January follows a bunch of holiday-filled months, and the lack of activity in January creates an illusion of slow-ness.
Conversely, we’re ready for a new start in January, which leads to doing a whole host of new stuff. The activity and changes feels like we jammed a while bunch into this one month.
That new year mental shift is real, but there’s no magical switch that occurs on January 1. It’s a dreary month, full of short days and the coldest weather in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s a month where we need to actively find activity — it doesn’t just happen.
Mathematically, it’s one of the longest months. 31 days is a lot!
All that being said, I welcomed January’s length this year. In my themes for this year’s creative year, I defined January in the following way:
January
Root down and get realistic. Get curious about HOW you can accomplish your intentions and goals ahead.
Take a rest and get curious about what’s ahead.
Outcome: establish habits and understanding about how to integrate into your year ahead.
This is precisely what January was to me, and I was glad to have this definition to guide me. Both by scheduling happenstance and giving myself a break, I didn’t feel like I needed to jump into January 1 with a fully-fledged list of goals for the year.
I decided to use January as a buffer or transition month; one where I could use the time that this long month allows to really root into what would normally be a month full of rapid transitions. Instead, I gave myself permission to just be; to get curious, and allow those goals and intentions to develop for themselves. To rest, and to know the outcome would be coming.
Here’s what my month looked like:
Battling several things beyond my control that interrupted plans: two separate colds, and a week long snowstorm/cold front. A good two-week chunk of January was spent doing a whole bunch of nothin’ and getting a little bit of cabin fever. Embrace the rest — it’s hard to do.
Working intentionally on what my goals and intentions are for the year. I use Stratejoy’s Holiday Council framework each year to come up with a big theme, ways of being, and specific goals, and giving myself this extra time has helped me dig in in a way I haven’t before. And guess what? I’m still not totally done! My theme is going to be Metamorphosis 🦋 but other elements are still working. And that’s okay.
In that vein, organized a ton of ideas around what I want to do this year — but didn’t make much real headway on them outside of brainstorming. That’s what the months ahead are for.
Doubled down on using Notion as my personal project management tool. For a long time, I felt like it was “extra” to use a project management tool on my own ideas — like I wasn’t legit enough for that, or my ideas weren’t worth it. Conviction and kindness for myself are helping some overcoming.
Went on two weekend trips: to Miami and Nashville! They were both lovely!
Did a ton of yoga.
Started a daily journaling exercise and some writing that may or may not see the light of day.
Read books.
That’s what I was up to this month, and it feels really good.
As we head into February ahead, here’s a reminder of what I have charted for this month:
February
Spinning realism established in January with loftier ideas. Get clear on what your intentions are beyond the tactical goals.
Not blowing up your goals or intentions, but ensuring they are what you want; that you are setting sights high. Being audacious while setting your sights on what you can actually control. Not creating too much, or getting distracted by others’ expectations.
Outcome: a balanced idea of what’s to come. Understanding the push and the pull; both what we’re realistically capable of and the big intentions we aim to embody.
This is the time to elevate our sights higher, and keep pushing us toward what we want.
This isn’t meant to add pressure; but to remind you that we can intentionally go forward to get what we want — whether that’s a goal, or a way of being, or an emotional state we aim for. We can get that, or at least move toward it. The world is crazy, and there will always be external factors, but we really do have the power to craft that life we aim for. And it all starts with 1) intention and 2) kindness toward ourself.
You can really do it. I believe it, and you can too.
Til next month,
Anna