January is not for trying ✌🏻
And other encouragements to do less
One year ago today I wrote about how I love January more than December, and I stand by it all. Here’s what I said then, and I still mean it now:
I’ve always loved symmetry, and the way January balances out the holiday months is near perfection. After spending November and December being jolly, merry, and bright, January practically begs us to hibernate in our houses and eat soup (a true hug of a meal). Actually, my draft for this entry started with this list:
Soup
Bone-chilling cold
Gratitude
I love the juxtaposition of these very January things. I know it sounds odd to include “bone-chilling cold” on a list of reasons to love January, but hear me out: nothing makes me more appreciative of a warm place to call home quite like a January freeze. The icy temps encourage only the coziest of attire—chunky sweaters, fleecy sweatshirts, wooly socks, and so on. January is the time to find a new favorite show, start a book, get into puzzles, and cancel plans, because when it's -20 outside like it was in Indiana this week, leaving the house is quite strongly discouraged.
To continue my ode to the first month of the year, here’s a list of what is ~in~ for me this January:
Not trying hard. I am not good at this, by the way. To quote the queen1, “All I do is try, try, try.” After all the trying of December, though, I’m REALLY trying (lol) to embrace a “that can get done tomorrow” mentality.
Low maintenance everything. Outfits, dinners, plans, expectations. My January will be breezy.
No absolutes. January is NOT for a hard reset. January is for softness, sweatpants, and sleep. It is for considering intentions for your year once you’ve emerged from your holiday haze. Commitments come later.
Hermiting. The snow, slush, and incoming below-zero temps mean making plans is a no-go. Leaving the house is a whole to-do (especially with little kids), and as I said—if it isn’t low maintenance, it is out.
Reading over scrolling. Listen, I’m not going to hop on the down with social media bandwagon. I’m not deleting Instagram—I like it there (in moderation). I need a mindless scroll session now and then. But I’m making myself put my phone down and read before bed, even if it’s just for five minutes. I LOVE reading, yet I only read four books last year. And now, even with my short stint of being ~a reader~ again, it is so clear that getting invested in a novel is a much more meaningful, restorative escape than scrolling. 📚
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📓 If you enjoyed reading this, you might also like this post about romanticizing the ordinary.
🔗 Recent splurge: a much better handheld vacuum. Essential when you have littles.
💙 To support my creative pursuits, like this post! (Yes, even if you don’t have a Substack account.)
⭐️ Beginning in January soon2, I plan to offer a paid subscription, featuring one monthly, more personal post, organizational resources, and all past archived posts.
Taylor Swift, obviously.
Because January is not for trying.