Feb is the new Jan
February is my new January.
I’d like to make a case for why January may not be the best month for activating new goals and projects...
Perhaps a few questions could do a better job at revealing my reasoning for this statement:
👉 Did you set New Year’s “Resolutions” or make some goals for 2025?
👉 On a scale of 1-10, how successful have you been in taking action during these first 29 days?
So, how did you do?
Listen Britta, there's no pass or fail here. And I do not condone self-shaming, whatever your response was. In fact...
Here’s 4 reasons why February is better-suited to catalyze your goals than January:
1) Mid-winter is a time to rest
The energy of winter encourages rest, hibernation, and introspection. This is why January is a fantastic time to vision and plan, but also why you may find yourself not as ready to take action on those plans as your ambitious side would prefer. It would serve us well to look at the creatures and plants at this time of year for a reminder on what purpose January best serves.
2) Post-holiday detox
For many of us, the holidays are sort of exhausting… indulging, socializing, traveling and general frivolity pull us out of our normal rhythm. Not necessarily the most restful of times. Taking a respite after the holiday season is akin to taking a day off after getting home from a trip—even a vacation—so that I can rest before jumping back into work. For me, this is a step toward maturation and sustainability.
3) Imbolc approaches
February 1st is the holy day known as Imbolc or Saint Brigid’s Day in ancient Gaelic tradition. Honoring the coming of Spring, Imbolc marks the halfway point between winter solstice and the spring equinox. All the symbolism imbued in this celebration—fire, the belly of the mother, the sun—represent power, potential and new life. If there was ever a time to start new projects, this is it! (Read a past article I wrote on Imbolc here.)
4) Happy Lunar New Year!
Also known commonly as Chinese New Year (though that’s not a very inclusive description), today officially kicks off the Lunar New Year according to lunisolar calendars. It also marks the coming of Springtime, and is widely celebrated in China, South Korea, Vietnam, and many other places. Although January 1st marks the new year according to the Gregorian calendar, I like reflecting on the intentional alignment of a calendar that honors moon cycles AND the changing of the seasons.
I say all of this to encourage you to be gentle with yourself, and hopefully assuage any guilt you might be feeling regarding everything you haven’t done yet.
What if you are perfectly, exactly on time?
May we allow January to be a month of rest and renewal, and trust that as spring approaches, we will naturally and effortlessly rise like a phoenix from the ashes!
To balancing our ambitions with our cyclical nature,
PS. If you’re just now feeling motivated and energized to gather your vision and make a plan for 2025, Spirit-Led Life Design is here for you. Freshly updated for this year, my annual planning course is a 7-day challenge to walk you through creating an aligned map for a courageous, expansive and abundant year ahead. Get started today.