Alternative New Year Planning: Why January might be the wrong time to do it.
Image via Unsplash
January is that time of year when everything seems to be about newness. New calendar year, new you. New resolutions, routines and regimens. Gyms fill up, alcohol consumption slows down for Dry January and you’re encouraged to make your life better. But if you’ve ever wondered why you feel de-motivated and overwhelmed with pressure to fix your life in January instead, there’s a good reason: the seasonal (and menstrual) cycle.
January is the middle of winter (in the northern hemisphere). It’s cold, bleak and dark. When you look at nature, it looks dead and barren. Let’s be honest, how motivated are you to get outside, go for a walk, do sports? January’s energy is slow and long.
When you equate January to the menstrual cycle, we’re talking mid-bleed, and that too is a time when many (not all) want or need to rest, pause, sleep and be unproductive. It’s not the time for most to start new things or deal with everyday stuff. Why? Because your period - your Inner Winter - is a time to pause, look back at your cycle, reflect and re-orientate for your new cycle ahead.
Your Inner Winter is a time to dream into your life - not make those dreams happen. And January is the same. It’s the start of a new year, so naturally it’s a good time to reflect on the one that’s just gone by. It’s also a good time to dream into the year ahead - but not necessarily to take action. You’ve just been in a flurry of activity: the end of year rush to get things off your lists, the festive, busyness and often stressful period of Christmas and New Year’s. There needs to be space to slow back down, and dream. To use your inner wisdom to help steer where you go next. Two questions that can help with this are:
How do you want to feel over the next 12 months or so?
Why do you want to feel this way?
But what about if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere and January is high summer? Again, this isn’t necessarily the time to do either. Unfortunately, the message given by many is that Inner Summer is the time to get things done. But again, let’s be honest. How motivated are you to work your butt off on a gorgeous summer’s day? Summer can be a great time to pause, enjoy and soak in your life, using the cooler, fresher, almost back-to-school focussed energy of Autumn to look at what to do next.Here’s a breakdown of how the seasonal year might equate to your year in terms of planning:
Winter (December, January, February): Slowing down on appointments, reflecting on the past year, prioritising things that nourish you and your business if you have one. Taking time to feel into what you want. Think of December as the first part of your period, January the middle, February the end, transitioning to Spring.
Spring (March, April, May): Putting plans into motion, brushing up on skills, collaborating with others, doing things that might feel intimidating at other times in the year. Taking advantage of the longer days (think of oestrogen rising in the pre-ovulatory phase) and the extra oxygenated air as leaves and greenery bloom again (think of energy returning in your body).
Summer (June, July, August): Soaking it all in! Taking pleasure in life, social time, holidays, prioritising things you want to do that bring you joy and spaciousness. This is equal to your ovulatory phase - yes, you may be capable of lifting extra weights at the gym, running faster, swimming longer, and yes you can plan things that may feel difficult here, but make sure it’s well balanced with play/reward.
Autumn (September, October, November): Analysing the year so far, course correcting (early Autumn is a great place to do this), dropping (or completing) things you don’t want to carry forward. This is equal to your premenstrual phase.
Of course, not everything can be spread out across the year, which is where your personal cycle comes in. You can think of every cycle as a miniature version of this - each one is an opportunity to check in with what you want, your dreams and hopes.
If this way of planning your year feels more aligned to you than the madness of January, join me for Align & Flourish - a workshop that takes both where you’ve been and your cyclical nature in mind. We’ll sit together in February, the tail end of winter in the northern hemisphere when the days start to get lighter and the optimism of spring beckons. And we’ll infuse this energy into our time together to bring you into connection with the cycles of nature.
By the end of the workshop, you’ll have the foundations for a truly intentional 2024 in your life and/or biz.
When: Saturday 19th February 2024 at 14:00 - 16:00 CEST (1pm UK, 8am New York, 5am L.A). You can check other timezones with https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/
A recording will be made available but live is always magical.
What you’ll need:
Journal/paper and pen
Not necessary but can be lovely: cacao, tarot/oracle cards, candles, incense - whatever makes you feel cosy and held
Investment: 20€