January shows up loud.

It’s all fitness goals, diet resets, morning routines, vision boards, and bold declarations about this being the year. Everyone is stretching, journaling, quitting sugar, downloading apps, and announcing a brand-new version of themselves by January 3rd.

And I get it. I really do.

But for me, January feels less like a beginning and more like… the opening credits.

The only reason January feels like the “start” is because we’ve been conditioned to believe it is. Thank you, Gregorian calendar. Very organized. Very convincing. But technically—and energetically—I don’t believe the year truly begins until spring. Around April. When the earth itself decides to wake up again. Spring is when things actually start. Seeds move. Systems activate. Energy shifts forward.

Winter, on the other hand, feels like a pause button.

A slow-down season. A thinking season. A look-at-yourself-without-rushing season.

This stretch of time—between now and spring—is what excites me most. It feels like trial and error without pressure. A testing ground. A rehearsal before the real performance begins. I get to try habits, drop them, pick them back up, adjust systems, rethink routines… all without the dramatic “new year, new me” energy looming over my head.

By the time spring arrives, I don’t want brand-new goals.
I want practiced ones.

I want systems that have already been lived in. Habits that have already survived a few bad days. Mindsets that have been challenged and refined, not just written down in a notebook with good intentions.

That’s why I don’t treat January like a reset button. I treat every month like a mini reset. Not in an exhausting way. Not with fireworks and manifestos. But with a quiet sit-down with myself:

What worked?
What didn’t?
What felt good but wasn’t sustainable?
What am I avoiding?
What can I do better—with less drama?

While doing this each month, I don’t go through all the “seasons” like a full calendar year, but I do give myself permission to adjust often. Growth doesn’t need a 12-month commitment. Sometimes it just needs accountability and honesty.

Lately, I’ve been drifting further and further away from labels. “The New Year.” “Fresh Start.” “This Is the One.”

Who decided January was the moment we all had to reinvent ourselves anyway? And when did we agree on that?

I know the historical answers—I’ve done the homework—but I’m asking you. Because being told something becomes your truth until you break it through your own experience. School does this. Parents do this. Society does this. Calendars definitely do this.

And I like questioning it all. Often. In big ways and very small ones.

So here I am, in January, not sprinting—just observing.

Which brings me to you.

With us being in January… what are you thinking about?
Have you started new goals—or are you just circling ideas?
What are they?
And more importantly: what steps are you taking to make sure they’re actually attainable?

Not perfect. Not aesthetic. Just real.

Maybe January doesn’t have to be a launch.
Maybe it can just be a conversation with yourself.

And honestly? That feels like a pretty good way to start anything.

— Bri 🍎