Why January can be disorienting for all of us.

I saw a memory pop up on FB the last few days and it was 8 years ago.

January in my part of the world (Australia) for 40 years represented summer break. Time off work and school.

The month you switched off and the month you gave your soul space to dream of the year ahead, set intentions, review the year gone and pray over your future.

We did all that in sunshine. And in the posture a whole year ahead of you.

The last few years in Australia that meant heading to our 650 acre farm to be fully remote. in often 45 degree temps (think putting your washing out on the clothes line and they dry by the time you have finished putting up the last item of clothing!!)

So when I saw this image, it made me recognize what was going on again for me this January. I always find myself disoriented with the season.

The school break is quick. And of course pandemic throws everything out of whack anyway.

But the deep dive into reflection and planning doesn’t seem to happen as easily. And I think it is because I don’t give myself permission to embrace the full opposite ‘season’ here.

Here in winter it feels like a quick short break to do Christmas and then rush back into a new year. Plus so many of you I know were already exhausted from the previous year.

So the key today is just acknowledge it all.

I am not here to tell you ‘what to do’ next. But I am here to tell you, acknowledging what feels different is really crucial as a leader who feels so much responsibility to do all the things!

So yesterday I acknowledged that 6 years on after 40 years some else .. I am still adjusting to what the expectation of January is.

And you don’t have to have moved across the world to be acknowledging that you are adjusting … gosh just getting the virus going around is enough to be thrown into a spin of what ‘January was supposed to look and feel like!’

So friend, girl in leadership that you are, in some form of your entrusted world … give yourself permission today to acknowledge that you’re adjusting!

This might be the key to doing the right next best thing for you. One step at a time.

With much love

In new territory with you

Vanessa xx