4 Ways To Make January Work For You

Of all the months in the year, I’m pretty sure January is one of the worst to trigger any major life-changing decisions that could wait a little longer. Especially if you’re in the coldest parts of the world at this time with short days and cold nights. So while everyone is throwing around headline-grabbing trends for 2023, here’s a few thoughts on how to set yourself up for a positive year and all the opportunities that could lie ahead.

It’s the perfect time to practice a little hygge, hibernation and self-care

January tends to bring out two potentially conflicting tendencies, often regardless of personality type. The first is an overwhelming desire to drive things forward at speed, putting into practice new resolutions, habits or regimes personally or professionally. The second is to hibernate, re-centre and refill the tank in readiness for the year ahead. Like most things in life, you can enjoy both states, but not to the extreme at the same time. Hygge and its relation Lagom may have had their breakout moment some time ago, yet both feel just right as we enter 2023 with all of its opportunities and uncertainties. Here is a great little article from The New Yorker to help you reset and reinvigorate yourself for the year ahead.

It’s a good time to embrace ‘essentialism’ and say no more often

While the concept of Hygge should make you feel all warm, cosy and cared for, it’s essentialism that will help you focus on making wise choices about how you use your time and energy. If you find it difficult to set boundaries, get things done and focus on what’s meaningful then the concepts in Greg McKeowan’s “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” could set you up for the year ahead. This step-by-step approach could help you resist FOMO, break away from the herd and put a few building blocks in place to make 2023 an adventure in the things that matter most to you.

It’s the right time to focus on the everyday over the epic

It’s amazing how the death-by-a-thousand-cuts effect of the everyday can rob you of your best efforts to achieve incredible things and drag you down. I’m talking about never being able to find what you’re looking for at home or work and having to make awkward diversions in order to perform the simplest task. It’s amazing what you learn to live with and how its accumulative effect can de-energise you. I’m thinking less of Marie Kondo and her KonMari method of decluttering and more of simply addressing the small things that can (quite literally in some instances) trip you up everyday. The big things in life matter and the small things do too according to The Mayo Clinic if you’re serious about reducing stress and living your best life.

It’s the ideal moment to embrace connection over goals

Harvard researchers have spent nearly 80 years tracking what helps us to live longer and happier lives . It’s not money, fame or power, it’s actually relationships, connection and community. So while it’s a cliche to cite the ride as much as the destination, it is good advice to take now rather than find ourselves regretful later. So rather than making this the year you get fit or get that promotion, you may well find enriching and enlarging your connections to be the thing that brings you most success and joy this year.

Back to business, leadership and brand in my next column. For now, I’d love to wish you a wonderful year ahead with lots of opportunity to flourish and fulfil your potential in whatever way you choose.

By Sairah Ashman, Contributor