Are We Doing January All Wrong?
For so many people, January feels like a fresh start. The clock strikes 12:00 AM and it’s officially a whole new year. It feels like the perfect opportunity to start fresh. To set new goals. To make it the best year possible.
Gym memberships spike in January because so many people resolve to finally get fit this year. Lots of people start diets, begin savings programs, pick up new hobbies, or set a number of different goals — usually with the purpose of self-improvement.
But what if we’ve been doing January all wrong?
The second Friday in January is known as Quitter’s Day, because it’s so common for people to give up on their New Year’s resolutions by then.
Could it be that January — the beginning of winter — is actually the worst time to try and overhaul your life?
What Nature Is Doing in Winter
Look at nature in winter.
Animals are moving slower. They’re resting more. They’re focused on staying warm and fed. Trees have shed their leaves. They’re dormant and conserving energy for a push that won’t happen until spring.
Technology has made it so that we’re no longer limited by what nature is doing. Electricity keeps our homes lit the same hours as summer. Our food system allows us to eat produce year-round, even when it’s out of season. Our jobs expect the same output regardless of the time of year.
Because of technology, life doesn’t change very much whether it’s summer or winter.
But that doesn’t mean our bodies and minds don’t change.
How Winter Affects the Body
During winter, reduced daylight impacts our circadian rhythm, melatonin production, cortisol patterns, and even serotonin levels. Many people notice lower energy, a stronger need for rest, changes in mood, and more difficulty staying motivated.
From a nervous system perspective, winter is a season of conservation. The body is prioritizing safety, warmth, and stability — not expansion or peak performance.
So when we try to make massive changes in January, we’re often pushing against our biology instead of working with it.
Could this be why so many goals fall apart by the second week of January? We’re trying to push during the exact time of year our body wants to rest and recharge.
“But I Love a Fresh Start…”
If you’re hearing this and it kind of bums you out — I get it.
Dates have meaning for me too. When the first of the month starts on a Monday, I feel super giddy inside. The idea of setting goals in January, right at the start of a new year, definitely appeals to me as well.
And there’s nothing wrong with setting goals or starting new things in January.
But it has to be done while taking our body’s natural rhythms into account.
If we lived more in tune with nature, winter would be a time when life turns inward. Food has already been gathered. Crops aren’t growing. Animals aren’t birthing. We’re still taking care of our daily needs so it’s not a season of complete stagnation, but it’s also not a season of force.
You wake a little later because the sun rises later. You head indoors earlier because the sun sets earlier. You’re still productive — just at a slower, more intentional pace.
So How Should We Set Goals in January?
Instead of asking, “How can I change everything right now?” January invites a different question:
“How can I support my body while preparing for what’s next?”
Winter is the season for reflection, awareness, and laying groundwork — not full implementation. At least not yet.
Below are examples of common January goals, reframed in a way that works with the season instead of against it.
Movement Goals: Build Consistency, Not Intensity
In January, many people set movement goals with the intention of “getting back on track” or making up for the holidays. The desire to feel stronger, healthier, and more energized makes sense — but winter isn’t the season for punishment or extremes.
Instead of:
Jumping into an intense workout plan, training most days of the week, or pushing your body to exhaustion…
Try this instead:
Focus on consistency, circulation, and reconnecting with your body
Winter-aligned movement goals might look like:
Moving your body daily in small, supportive ways
Starting your morning with 100 gentle jumps to wake up your system and support lymphatic flow
Going for a walk each day, even if it’s short
Doing simple body-weight movements a few times a week
Squats
Planks
Pushups
Strength training 3–4 days per week, with rest built in
The goal isn’t intensity — it’s reminding your body that movement is safe, supportive, and consistent. If you start with gentle, intentional movement in January and slowly build onto your routine, you’ll be ready for a bigger push come Spring.
Nourishment Goals: Support, Don’t Restrict
January is often when people decide it’s time to “clean things up” with food. While the desire to feel better in your body is valid, winter is not the ideal season for harsh restriction or deprivation.
Instead of:
Starting a strict diet, cutting calories aggressively, or eliminating entire food groups…
Try this instead:
Focus on nourishment, warmth, and blood sugar stability
Season-appropriate nourishment goals might include:
Eating regular meals that include protein, healthy fats, and fiber
Choosing warm, cooked foods like soups, stews, roasted vegetables, root veggies, and slow-cooked proteins
Supporting blood sugar instead of trying to eat less
Drinking enough water, even when thirst cues are lower
Noticing how foods affect your energy, digestion, and mood — without trying to fix anything yet
This kind of nourishment sends a powerful safety signal to your nervous system: resources are available. (This is what we’re focused on during the month of January inside my membership Rooted + Rising. Real Nourishment = safety)
Mindset & Self-Improvement Goals: Create Awareness First
Many January goals focus on becoming “better” — more disciplined, more positive, more motivated. But real change doesn’t start with forcing different thoughts; it starts with awareness.
Instead of:
Trying to overhaul your mindset or “think more positively…”
Try this instead:
Create space to notice what’s already happening internally
Gentle, winter-friendly mindset goals might look like:
Writing down 1–3 things you’re grateful for each day
Brain-dumping your thoughts onto paper before bed
Journaling once or twice a week without a prompt or agenda
Tracking mood, energy, or stress patterns instead of judging them
Practicing self-compassion when motivation feels low
Winter is a season for listening, not correcting. Awareness now creates clarity later.
Business & Work Goals: Clarify Before You Execute
January often comes with pressure to start strong, launch quickly, and “hit the ground running.” But winter is better suited for direction than execution.
Instead of:
Launching something big, overhauling your workload, or setting aggressive output goals…
Try this instead:
Use winter to refine, organize, and clarify
Season-appropriate work goals might include:
Reviewing what worked and what didn’t last year
Identifying which tasks drained you and which energized you
Cleaning up systems, files, workflows, or schedules
Brainstorming ideas without committing to timelines yet
Choosing one small habit that supports focus or reduces overwhelm
Think of January as strategic planning season — not sprint season. We cannot expect ourselves to work at full speed 365 days a year. That is the inevitable path to burnout.
Relationship Goals: Strengthen Safety Before Change
In January, many people set relationship goals around connection, communication, or “doing better.” But even inside our relationships, winter isn’t the season for emotional overhauls or fixing everything at once.
Relationships need nourishment just like our bodies do, but just like with everything else .. We want gentle action, like focusing on warmth, predictability, and presence.
Instead of:
Trying to fix communication, resolve long-standing issues, or dramatically change relationship dynamics…
Try this instead:
Focus on increasing emotional safety in small, realistic ways
Examples of winter-aligned relationship goals:
If your goal is better communication:
Choose one conversation per week to practice listening without interrupting or fixing
If your goal is more connection:
Schedule one low-pressure connection point each week (a walk, shared meal, or check-in)
If your goal is less conflict:
Notice when tension shows up instead of rushing to resolve it
If your goal is better boundaries:
Identify one relationship where you feel drained and practice one small boundary
If your goal is breaking old patterns:
Start by noticing how your body feels after interactions, without judgment
These goals are specific, realistic, and measurable — but they don’t require emotional exhaustion.
Winter relationship work is about stabilizing the nervous system within connection. When safety increases, change becomes possible — and sustainable.
Remember to Start Small
Whatever goals you set this January, remember to keep them small. This is not the time to overhaul your life. The goals listed aren’t meant to be a roadmap for every area you should be focused on — they’re simply suggestions for where you might begin.
Resist the urge to change every part of your schedule all at once. Making too many changes at the same time often backfires, especially during a season when your body naturally wants more rest and stability.
If your pattern has been starting a long list of goals in January only to abandon them by spring, let that be information — not a reason for self-judgment. It’s a sign that the approach hasn’t been working, not that you’ve failed.
This year, you’re allowed to try something different.
Let Winter Be the Preparation
Nature doesn’t burst into growth in January — it prepares.
Roots grow quietly beneath the surface. Energy is conserved. The groundwork is laid.
Spring is when momentum comes naturally.
When winter is used for reflection, awareness, and gentle habit-building, growth doesn’t require willpower later — it unfolds because the foundation is already there.
Let winter be that time that you prepare for the rest of the year, not start running at full speed.
When we focus on working with our own inherent nature .. This is how we stop starting over every January.
If You Need More Support
If this approach resonates but you feel like you need more help in creating new habits, this is exactly why I created Rise + Reset.
I spent years trying to overhaul my life overnight and it never worked. I knew what to do, but I couldn’t seem to make myself do any of it. But I finally realized it was my approach, my expectations, and my mindset that was holding me back. Once I learned how to move slower with more intention, everything changed.
My mornings are no longer chaotic and stressed. I set and maintain new goals because I know what works and what doesn’t. And I don’t fall apart when things don’t work out perfectly or life gets in the way. The concepts I teach in this course were truly life changing for me .. so simple I almost ignored it, but I’m so glad I didn’t.
Rise + Reset is a short, supportive course designed to help you:
Gently ease into new habits without all-or-nothing pressure
Learn what to do on off days so they don’t turn into giving up
Build a morning rhythm that supports balanced cortisol and steadier energy throughout the day
Rather than asking you to overhaul your life, Rise + Reset meets you where you are and helps you create small, sustainable shifts — the kind that feel doable even in winter.
If January has ever felt like too much, this course is meant to help you reset without force… and rise when your body is actually ready.
