Last week I ventured on my first proper walk of 2025, 15 days into January—spoiler alert, I didn’t die.
I spoke about this last with a few of my clients, and I wanted to share it here on my first ever blog too.
January, for me, isn’t about setting goals or sprinting toward success. It’s about rest, recovery, and recharging for the year ahead.
This mindset shift has been a game-changer.
Last year, I took a similar approach in January, but I felt terrible for it. I thought I was failing because I wasn’t chasing goals at full speed. But here’s the thing: I still managed to run a half marathon, host my first event, achieve so much, and have a successful year in 2024—despite starting with a chilled January.
In previous years, I put so much pressure on myself to do it all in January, and it led to burnout pretty quickly. This year, I’ve let go of that guilt. I’m not saying, “Don’t do anything in January.” If January is your time to shine, go for it! But this is for the people who feel guilty because they haven’t been waking up at 5 a.m., doing two workouts a day, drinking 3L of water, and ticking off every goal.
Life doesn’t have to be all or nothing. At the start of this year, I spent four days in bed ill. At first, I felt gutted. But now, I see it as my body’s way of telling me to chill. Today, over 3 weeks into the year, I finally feel more like myself again—and I’m okay with that.
I haven’t even thought about my 2025 goals yet, and I’ve been spending less time on social media and spending more time doing things that ground me like reading my book, listening to podcasts and catching up with family & friends because, honestly, social media doesn’t serve me much in January—and that’s okay too!
With 12 months in the year, there’s plenty of time to build momentum. So, let’s rewrite the narrative. January doesn’t have to be about pressure. It can be about reflection, self-care, and setting the foundation for the year ahead, in fact any month of the year can. Whether you’re working hard or recharging, the most important thing is to honour what feels right for you.
I hope this post helped you reflect on the pressures of goal-setting and finding a way to embrace January at your own pace. Remember, it’s okay to take time for yourself to recharge and reset, infact, it’s necessary!
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon.
Catch you in the next post !
Erin x
P.S. I’d love to hear your thoughts on goal-setting and how you approach the start of a new year. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or reach out on Instagram @bijouxbrows_ @bijouxbrowsacademy
