Feeling late to the year? Yeah, same.

My bid for starting the year in Spring.

January. New Year. New Goals. New Beginnings. Vision Board. Goal List. Gym. Eating Right. Doing right.

The noise finds a way to creep through the hangover that is January. Within an instant, the previous carols of December telling you to relax, to let go and hug one another has dropped down dead and given way to Uncle Sam and his urges for you to prep for the new fiscal year. With candy dangled over our heads, He sets us up to the craving and needing of things we don’t know why we want. The world (read: corporations) tells us it’s time to leap into action, to reset, to hustle. But what if buying a gym membership or a new app subscription isn’t what’s gonna do it? What if the pressure to jump right into the grind, just as the world is still slumbering and recovering from the holidays, is more about the machine than our true internal needs?

As any other hard-working citizen, I’ve always blindly followed the hallmarks of the Gregorian calendar—the excitement of January 1st, the crush culture in February, the hot girl summers— It’s what society tells us to do, and for so long, I didn’t question it. But over time, I started to witness the distance between the messaging I was seeing and the true feelings people were having. January often comes at a time when everyone is still recovering, hibernating and processing. The call for hard work and discipline seems so tone deaf in The Most Depressing Month of the Year.¹

What if, instead of following a fabricated timeline, we followed the seasons (literal or internal)—the natural rhythm of rest and renewal? What if we said idgaf about your New Year’s Sale?

Your Fresh Start is Now

Winter is inherently quiet. The earth is still, the days are shorter, and the energy around us calls for reflection, rest, and introspection. If one slows down long enough to notice, we could observe that nature doesn’t rush into a new beginning—she waits until Spring, when the earth is ready to bloom and grow. The astrological calendar mirrors this natural rhythm, beginning with Aries—the ruler of passion—as Spring arrives. This marks a shift from stillness to action, from introspection to renewal. Similarly, in Chinese culture, the Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, also signifies the start of this season of renewal, celebrating the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. This is the flow of the mother— the earth, the stars, and the seasons.

Why wouldn’t we follow her lead?

For many years now, I have been slowly erasing the need to be super productive in January and February. Even for me, a person from a tropical climate with eternal Summer conditions, the change is slow. I am programmed otherwise, not by my environment but by the Screens™². But I have started to awaken the animal in me, preparing my heart for the birth of Spring. Likewise, I’d like to urge you as well: Instead of pushing yourself to dive straight into new goals, or punishing yourself for having not done so, take the first months of the year to hold space for yourself. To pause. To reflect. Feel it the fuck out. Allow your ideas to simmer quietly, without the pressure of external expectations. By slowing down in these months, we create the fertile ground needed for meaningful growth when the time comes.

Embracing Self-Holding Energy

Often there is nothing to be done about pain.

the more we try to erase, to rub, to scrub, to scratch tO ITCH TO BURN TO ESCAPE-

the louder, the bloodier, the messier it all becomes.

do not pick the scab.

do not scratch the itch.

hold yourself. pat your head. breath.

remember if not only to forget.

Over the holiday season, we turn off our brains and choose to be present with our families and with life. We give ourselves permission to tune out the self-hate, the nagging itch to be better, the flinch to check your email every few seconds. We do so like a bandaid or tape we slap over our eyes and ears— leaving only our mouths wide open to stuff with comfort food and other numbing agents. Then, right after the last party-till-sunrise event, January 1st comes around. We rip the tape off in a hurry and run around messily: still hungover, still digesting, still incredibly unrested.

Let’s be real— the holidays are seldom restful. Whether it’s the pressure to be cheerful, the demands of social obligations, or the overwhelm of planning and gifting, it’s easy to set aside our emotional needs in favour of an exciting holiday experience. Which, I truly believe, is needed too. But then, dear reader, when do we get the time to drop the ball? To truly rest, hold space for our doubts, our fears, and our wants, too.

It seems only natural that after finally severing from the constant busy bee in our minds, we would next let go and hold space for all the parts of us that need attention—the shadows, the pains, the things we didn’t have time to face at any other time of the year.

This isn’t about rushing into healing either. It’s about gently shining love on those wounds, allowing them to be seen, felt, and integrated into who we are becoming. A safe space for pain is a genetic imperative.

Creating Fertile Ground for Spring

Spring is the time for all that action you got in you, chile. That’s when the energy shifts, and we naturally feel the pull to begin anew. But in order to truly honour that seasonal shift, we need to have made space for it. The quiet period before Spring is not just about holding still—it’s about preparing. Preparing emotionally, mentally, and spiritually to take on the challenges and growth that will come later.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unlike the advertisements describe, growth HURTS. They are called growing pains for a reason. Growth asks you to come out of your comfort zone, growth asks you to be more than you are — and we DON’T often like it! That’s exactly why I need some time of the year to take a break from growing goddamit, because if I don’t, I won’t really be able to be that strong soldier on the front lines come Spring. That’s why I urge you all to do the radical thing and take time each year, whether it’s this winter time or not, to REST. And I don’t mean take time off from work, I mean put down your expectations for yourself and see what it is like living without them. In that time, your goals will reveal themselves to you and feel more aligned with who you are and where you want to go, rather than just being a reaction to societal expectations.

Releasing the Calendar’s Grip

If the idea of moving away from the Gregorian calendar feels freeing, but also a little daunting, remember—you’re not alone. This is my third? or fourth year trying to really eradicate the thought, and I don’t think I succeeded in completely freeing myself. The conditioning of January 1st and all other prescribed culture is strong. But once we get it, the power of listening to your own rhythms instead of the world’s will set us free. And in honouring your internal pace, you’ll find yourself more energised, focused, and ready when the time for new beginnings truly comes.

A Summary in Case I Yapped Too Hard:

• Honour the Season You’re In: Recognise that January and February are for reflection and rest. Let yourself move at a slower pace, without guilt.

• Acknowledge the Shadows: Take this time to face the things you might have ignored during the holidays—unprocessed emotions, past pain, or even dreams you’ve pushed aside. Shine light on them with love and acceptance.

• Don’t Rush New Beginnings: Give yourself permission to not start fresh right away. Let your goals evolve naturally over time.

• Prepare for Growth: As we move into Spring, let the energy of the season carry you into new beginnings. But only after you’ve created the space for them through introspection and healing.

• Trust Your Own Rhythm: Resist the pull of society’s fast pace and trust that your own rhythm will lead you when it’s time to grow.

And thank you for sharing this moment with me!

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*To everyone who has stuck around or who has missed me, I’m grateful for you.

1. I actually learnt about this for the first time in a Swedish class in Sweden. Apparently, this is common knowledge there. I’m not sure if you all knew this before or not— but I think about how this may not something commonly discussed in The Americas because it does not fit in with the capitalist model of ‘Go-Getter January”.

https://psychcentral.com/blog/surviving-january-the-most-depressing-month-of-the-year#1

2. It really is the damn phone.