January is often a time of reflection, adjustment, and transition. Appropriately named after Janus, the two-faced Roman god of doorways, it’s a time when many of us look backwards on the year we just completed and forwards to the new one ahead. We clear out closets, finish old business, and reflect on lessons from the past. We set resolutions, make plans, and dream of new possibilities.
If, like me, you’re an academic, January is also a time of transition, as the winter break ends and a new academic term begins. Some colleges hold a short transitional J-term or winter term of only a few weeks during the month of January. It’s a time of adjusting to new students, new schedules, and new obligations.
Where did January go?
It’s often a bit startling to realize that the first month of the year is already ending. It feels like we just started, with all that fresh possibility and promise. And now, where did that sense of newness go? Is it buried under seasonal illness, weather challenges, and the complexities of your daily routine? Did you already shrug off your new year’s resolution?
There’s still plenty of possibility left in the new year.
11 months, 11 questions
There are 11 months to go in 2011. That’s 48 weeks, including this one. Here are some questions to think about as you head into the rest of the year:
- What do you want to learn this year?
- What do you want to create this year?
- What do you want to continue this year?
- What do you want to let go of this year?
- What do you want to nurture this year?
- Who do you want to connect with this year?
- How do you want to feel this year?
- Where do you want to spend more time this year?
- What support do you need this year?
- What one change do you want to make this year?
- Who do you want to be this year?
If you’d like to explore one or more of these questions further with the support of a coach, email me and let’s talk!
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