27. Rethinking January - Rest Before Momentum

January is often framed as a fresh start — a time for productivity, goal setting, and pushing forward. But biologically, emotionally, and energetically, we’re still in winter. This episode of Conditioning to Consciousness offers a collective “weather report” for January and explores the real cost of ignoring seasonal rhythms in favor of constant output.

Drawing on natural cycles, nervous system awareness, and lived experience, this solo episode reframes January as a time for integration, rest, and listening rather than rigid resolutions or forced momentum. We unpack why New Year’s goals often fail, how the Gregorian calendar disconnects us from our bodies, and why honoring winter can lead to more sustainable growth later in the year.

This episode is an invitation to release the pressure to perform, tune inward, and approach the new year with curiosity, flexibility, and self-trust. If you’re feeling exhausted, unmotivated, or resistant to traditional goal-setting right now, you’re not behind — you’re responding appropriately to the season.

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You can connect with me on Instagram @jesscallahan_, join my Substack community at conditioningtoconsciousness.substack.com, or explore more of my work at jesscallahan.com.

My Back in the Body Nervous System Healing course is now available! Find it here.

Thanks for listening — I’m so grateful you’re here.

Transcript

Speaker: 0:02

Hey guys, welcome back and happy new year. Welcome to the first official episode as the Conditioning to Consciousness podcast. Um, obviously the same super cool music, uh, same honest reflections and conversations, just a better name and a pretty sun on the cover now. But okay, in all honesty, this shift really, I feel like it just offers me a lot of like clarity on my own path, structure for building out future episodes. And I think it's also just going to be really helpful for people to know like what they're getting as they tune in, that this is really like it's a space where we go through it and not around it, where we stop bypassing the hard stuff because like that's what got us here in the first place, into this like collective global mess that we find ourselves in. And for being honest, I'm recording from the US. Um, so if you're listening from here, I'm guessing you're feeling it right now. Um, you know, not to mention on the heels of just like the chaos of the holidays. So um that brings me to my topic today. So it's it's like a weather report of sorts. We are um today we're tuning into the emotional weather of January, which is still wintering, or it could be like low energy, high integration. Um coming off the heels of the holidays. Like, I don't know about you, but I'm I'm exhausted. My kids just went back to school and I really enjoyed the time together. I enjoyed slow mornings and you know, not having to be anywhere, and just like getting to spend that like time, like getting to know them in ways that I feel like you don't when you're, you know, they're constantly changing and they go to school every day, and on weekends it's busy. We have sports and activities and birthday parties, and so you know, it's nice to slow down into a slower routine in that way, but it's also just chaos. Like, it's wild. It's wild that right after the winter solstice, right after, you know, it's the rebirth of the sun, but it marks this period of like rest and renewal and reflection and release. It's like right after that we move into like I don't know what like the most chaotic time of the year where we're like buying constantly, magic making, making plans to see all of the people, you know, cooking all of the meals, baking cookies, just like doing all of the things. Um, but but it is, you know, it's really supposed to be that season of like rest and renewal. So it's no wonder now that we feel extra exhausted. And I mean, like, I don't want to say that like it's not a bad exhaustion. It's just like it's it's a fighting balance between like what it is that's really important to us during this season, making space for that, and letting go of everything else. You know, there's just like all of this pressure around the holidays to like, you know, like participate in all of the themed weeks at school. Like the kids need a Grinch costume one day, and there's a cookie exchange the next day, and you know, we have to get all of the um, all of the gifts, right? The gifts for everyone. It's like it's not just it's no longer just about like who you want to give gifts to. Like there is like a level of expectation, I think, that a lot of people buy into. Um, you know, myself included, like there's there's times where I'm like, am I getting this gift because I feel like I'm supposed to or because I really want to? And um, it's just like this constant like inner conflict. And, you know, it's like sending Christmas cards, Santa visits, the elf. Did we decorate enough? Were we festive enough this season? Have we seen Santa enough? Um, have we bought enough gifts? Is the gift giving even across different parties? Um, what did I get so-and-so last year? And what should I get them this year? Like, did I get them the same thing? Did I get them enough? It's just like, and then New Year's is coming. New Year's is coming. Did we plan for that? Because Christmas came and we're finally like exhaling and we're in that like weird in between. But like now it's New Year's and there's this expectation that it's like fresh start, the calendar is changing, like we need to do something to mark that passing of time. But like why? It's why. I think it is wild to me that we go into this like period of like extreme busyness right after the winter solstice. But then on top of that, there's like all of this pressure in January for like a fresh start. You know, we've been taught that January is for New Year's resolutions and goal setting, um, productivity, self-discipline. What are you committing to doing every day? And um, what are you gonna deprive yourself of, right? Like what are sure, like what are the bad habits that you're gonna interrupt, but like it's so it's just harsh, right? It's not we're not designing any of this to like support what like our natural energetic and biological like clocks and cycles. Um biologically, energetically, and emotionally, right now, we are still wintering. January is not a clean slate, it's not a time for building, it is not a time for momentum, it's not a time for rigid goal setting and New Year's resolutions. January is a softer time. It is, it's, you know, it's that it's a period of reflection, deep rest, and renewal so that, you know, as the energy increases, as we get closer to spring, we can start to build again the Gregorian calendar. So like the 12-month calendar that we operate off of. Um, it's it's literally like just a made-up calendar. It's an arbitrary date, an administrative tool. It is not a reflection of any of the biological rhythms or energetic rhythms that we're like naturally attuned to. So, like if you tune into the solar calendar, as we talked about last month, a new cycle just began in December with the winter solstice, with the rebirth of the sun. The longest night marks the return of the sun. But that renewal doesn't start with momentum and you know, heightened output and productivity. It's it starts with wintering, with rest, renewal, reflection, and release. Seeds don't grow in frozen ground. Spring equinox, really, on the other hand, um, you know, in March, that's when the energy starts to pick up. That's when we, you know, when we're looking at like agricultural calendars, that's when we are planting seeds. That's when all of the preparation that we've done leads to planting those seeds, leads to growth and forward progress, momentum, building. The energy is like picking up and then it peaks in the summer, right? And astrologically, the astrological calendar starts in March also with Aries season. And, you know, the archetypal energy of Aries is bold and confident, high energy. It's like this um energy of like initiation. Even the Chinese New Year, um, it's like a blend of the lunar and solar cycles. So Chinese New Year isn't a fixed date, it takes place on the new moon between January and February. So um, you know, there's every other calendar that you follow that you can follow tunes into some sort of natural cycle that has to do with like solar cycles, lunar cycles. January 1st, the Gregorian calendar, is literally just an arbitrary date. And with it comes this like pressure for heightened productivity and output and um, you know, just like pushing and um pushing our bodies, pushing our goals. And we're not, we're not meant to be doing that right now. It doesn't mean that you can't, you know, have small pushes for sure. Um, it's just an invitation to tune in. Like my kids are back to school, and I definitely feel like a a renewed sense of like wanting to just like get my life organized, you know, get my calendar cleaned up, get everything um, you know, just sort of like in order so that as I feel the energy building in my body and around me, I can I can move forward in more of an organized way. So, you know, it's it's not like we're just supposed to be resting. Put your feet up, like rest. Like, sure, if that's what your body's calling for, then, then rest like that. But if if you're not feeling the drive to like go to the gym every single day, you know, we wonder why New Year's resolutions fail. It's because we're not, you know, we're not supposed to be pushing our bodies in that way right now, biologically and energetically. If you feel it naturally, definitely honor it. But this is more just an acknowledgement that like if you don't feel that right now, if you don't feel the energy behind these like massive pushes that we're told, you know, should coincide with January, that's okay. You know, this this isn't, it's just not the time for that. Um, you know, maybe instead of maybe instead of setting like a New Year's resolution or a goal of going to the gym every single day, or, you know, maybe it's just like moving your body every day. Maybe it's getting outside and taking a 10-minute walk. Maybe it's doing a short yoga flow at home. Maybe it's, you know, going to the gym and getting that hard workout in, but maybe it's also about like tuning in and seeing if I'm gonna move my body every day. Can I first check in with my body and see what I have the energy for? Because maybe yesterday I had a really hard workout, but and today I want to move, but I want to just go like, you know, walk in nature and listen to the birds and the trees and, you know, the wind. Um, all of those things are so grounding and so rejuvenating, and they're just as beneficial as that like hard workout that's like pushing your body. It's just giving you more balance in, you know, all of the all of the different areas of your life and you know, the things that your body needs. You think when it comes to goal setting and intention setting, I think that I think that there are other times of year that really support like strong goal setting and intention setting a lot more. Um, I think I've never understood this whole idea to like set strong goals for January. Um, there's when I was still like working in the corporate world, I remember, you know, having this expectation that like in, you know, December, but then it would move to November because December's too busy with the holidays. And then November is still busy, like we're still, you know, gearing up for Thanksgiving and all the pressure that comes with all of these holidays, but like squeezing in smart goal setting in the middle of all of that and figuring out like what am I gonna want on the other side of this like month to month and a half of pure chaos? Like, how do I think I can build and grow? I have no clue. Like, I'm, I feel like I'm winding down at that point. Like, I don't have the capacity to think about gearing up. I'm just come out of this whole like energetic push through summer and then fall starts. And, you know, talk about this in a minute, but in in Virgo season in fall, that is like, you know, it's like systems and habits and routines and stuff. Um, so the energy is sort of like supportive of um setting goals and hunkering down into like into work, um, you know, harvesting all that you've all that you've planted. And so, yeah, like come November, I'm like, I'm I'm exhausted. And now I have to gear up for the holidays. And we uh in our family, we buffer our holidays with kids' birthdays. So it's like the season that goes from like the very beginning of January to mid-January, no, the very beginning, I'm sorry, of like November to mid-January. And um, I'm like, I just I like I can't even fathom coming up with smart goals that hold any kind of meaning. And on top of that, like I just hate smart goals. They don't feel intuitively aligned for me. They work for some people, they don't for me. Um, I'm I think we've talked about this here before, but I knew like something had to shift for me in the corporate world and also just like in how I was setting goals when um in a meeting where I was to present some of my SMART goals for the coming year. I was just like so frustrated with the whole process that I just I went in and like I had tossed everything that I had prepared, and I was like, this year I'm intentionally winging it. And it was my way of just being like, I'm gonna do what's intuitively led. Um, and I was like a contractor, I was able to, you know, but it was I was just like frustrated and exhausted, and um I that's like the moment I broke up with the smart goals forever. But even like the word of the year, I love setting an intention. I love having something to come back to to sort of like anchor myself into for the year, but I think you have to do it with detachment, like with the ability to hold space for more than one thing, especially right now in January. Like I feel like January is just more of a time for listening than like defining. And so while I do love the word of the year, I don't really use it in a way that it's like I'm going to pick a word of a year of the year like right now and set my whole year around that. Um, I usually find myself like hovering around a couple of words, and they're usually pretty different words. Like um, some of the words on my list this year are like build, play, and bloom. And and I think like that gives me balance. I could do balance every year, right? But I think that having a few words gives me just sort of like this balance of intention. And as the year goes on, I might sort of hone in on one. And then I think I I use it more almost in reflection, then like I have a few words, I'm circling back on them. Um, I'm, you know, as as the new moons come around and I'm revisiting my intentions, I'll revisit these three words. And if something feels more real, maybe I'll focus in on that for for the month ahead. But um, I think that it's really important to sort of just like detach from rigid outcomes because it means that like you're not creating space for whatever is flowing through you most naturally and intuitively to come to light. I think that goals and rigid intentions can be restrictive in a way if you're not practicing detachment with them at the same time. But, you know, alternately, I think that there are times when a word of the year can be really helpful. Um, I had a conversation with a very smart woman the other day who was telling me that, you know, she's she's picking her word of the year. She's she does a word of the year instead of goal setting. And her or the word she's dancing around this year is stability. And she's been in this chapter of growth and creating and building and pushing, and she's just ready to like, you know, reground and restabilize. And we were talking about how something like that doesn't mean that she she can't create and grow as the year goes on. It doesn't mean that she can't later in the year decide to start something fresh and new altogether, but it's just a really good set point to be like, okay, I'm feeling the urge to grow. Is this aligned with my intention of like getting really grounded? Do I feel grounded enough to grow? Do I feel like I've, you know, restabilized my life enough that I can support new growth? And maybe it's a yes, maybe it's a no, but either way, it's just like that checkpoint to be able to say, like, to to know, really, I think if it is a yes or a no. So I think all of these things, it's such a personal process. And I think, you know, what I'm saying is like, again, just tune into your body, tune into what feels real for you, tune into what feels like your truth and what you're ready for. And if you're not ready to push and be productive and set goals or set intentions or pick a word, you know, that's okay because the timing, you know, energetically, it's really not supportive of that right now. Um, you know, I vote that we we take the time now to listen to our bodies, listen to our intuition, reflect, release what's no longer working, gather ideas, and then when spring rolls around at the spring equinox, we, you know, set stronger intentions. If goals are your thing, set the goals then. You know, you'll feel the energy and the momentum building around you. But for now, just tune in and listen. Um, I think that March is a really great time to be setting goals and setting intentions because the energy, you know, you you feel that momentum building. And as I mentioned earlier, I think that September can be a really good time for that too. Virgo season. You know, again, I'm you know, most of this is from the Northern Hemisphere perspective, but like summer's over, we've had peak energy with the summer solstice. And at um, you know, as we wind down into the fall, where you know, Virgo season is routines and um, you know, just sort of like getting buttoned up about things. And so it's either a depending on when you like to set intentions, set goals, start anew, at the very least, it's a really great time to revisit the intentions and goals that you've set and um set new, you know, habits or processes or structures in place to help you reach those goals. So um, yeah, I don't know. I think at the end of the day, it's really just about reclaiming what feels real for each of us. And, you know, we've we've been taught that January is like for output. And there's just so many of these scripts and and rules that I think we've sort of adopted as our own truth without checking in with ourselves first and being like, does that actually feel real in my body? Does that make sense for me? And so So, you know, maybe none of this feels real for you, but at the end of the day, it's it's just an invitation to tune into what does feel real. Like just because it's January 1st doesn't mean that you have to do all of the things that, you know, other people are doing or that, you know, we've been taught our whole lives to do. Um, just because I'm saying, you know, at the spring equinox that you should set your goals, then that maybe spring's a horrible time for you to set your goals. Um, you know, maybe it's it's the time leading up to that. In my in my past life, I was in real estate and spring market would just like pop up. It would pop up on you out of nowhere and it would just get insanely busy. And so waiting until spring equinox might not make sense because at that point, you know, I might have already just been in this like really busy season. And so maybe tapping into some of the energy ahead of time, um, pushing a little bit harder, or, you know, leaving space for both. Um I guess it would really just depend on what I was feeling at the time. But so, so I think I'm just saying that there are definitely different, you know, all of our truths are different, all of our schedules, our lives, our energy, everything is different. But, you know, for each of us, it's really just a matter of tuning into what makes the most sense for us. And and if we're feeling the pressure from some outside, you know, force that's you know, not within us, just take a minute and ask, you know, why do I, why do I believe that I need to do this now? And and giving ourselves permission to rest always, always, always is just so important. So happy wintering, happy recovering from the holiday season. Um if you have kids and they're back at school, I hope the transition back has been good. And I hope for both, I mean, they need the space from us just as much as we need the space from them. Um, you know, just for to settle into our own energy and our own routines and to grow and expand in different ways. So hopefully the transition back for everyone is going smoothly. And um I'll be back actually in a few days. I'm it's we have a new schedule coming up where I will be doing solo episodes every other week and then right now an interview a week. I've been just really fortunate. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to connect with so many just brilliant minds, and I'm excited to share these episodes with you. So next week I will be coming to you with some human design info. Um, my guest is a woman who really like reinvented herself. She's reinvented herself so many times. Um she just has this incredible story, incredible journey that takes her from like living in, as she describes it, an Amish cult. And her path has led her to, you know, she's really like a leader in the human design space. She's launched this new tech tool that um I'll post links to in the episode. I've been using it and it's it's brilliant. Um, so anyway, we'll be back in just a few days with uh with this interview. All right, bye guys.