January is just one month. Don’t burn out trying to prove to everyone and yourself that you’ve changed.
This post was originally shared on my newsletter the White Belt Mentality
Every January, the same motivational messages start taking over our socials and inboxes – “New Year, New You! This is the year everything changes!” “Time to lock in!!” Energy is high and people want to share that momentum (or sell you something that does).
That’s great for them, but that’s not where many of us find ourselves sitting with the new year. Often times it feels like the same exhaustion and stress but with a calendar reset.
We’re coming off the holiday season, which is usually less of a time to ‘rest and recharge’ and in reality is filled with travel, illness, complicated family dynamics, kids home from school, and the frantic push to close out the year.
If you’re a founder or a leader you also have the added weight of unfinished goals, big decisions looming, or just the anxiety of “what’s next?” When you’re sitting in that place the constant “Let’s go! Crush it!” often doesn’t feel motivating.
When my twins were young, I had long stretches where I was barely treading water. I was showing up, but I was a shell of myself, constantly on the edge of falling apart from lack of sleep and relentless demand. Later, after I was diagnosed with cancer, just getting through the day was a win. My body and mind definitely we’re “leveling up”. They were rapidly declining.
We all have our own version of this, but the collective new year messaging of January rarely leaves room for it.
Not every season is for acceleration
Real life rarely moves up and to the right consistently. There are definitely seasons for building and riding the wave of momentum. But we also need to leave space for seasons of maintenance, recovery, struggle, or simply letting go. None of them are failures and not setting big audacious goals doesn’t mean there’s something wrong.
In my coaching work, I talk to founders and leaders who are navigating the end of relationships, quietly winding down a business, carrying a diagnosis they haven’t shared, or just feel deeply burned out (or unmotivated). These are some of the most capable and ambitious people I’ve ever met. And they aren’t behind. They’re just in a different chapter or season of life.
When “I’m not crushing it” is the truth
One of the most common things I hear this time of year is some version of: “I know I should feel excited… but I don’t.” If that’s you: that doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It means you’re paying attention.
Sometimes the most honest (and the bravest) thing you can say is:
- I don’t have big goals right now.
- I don’t know what’s next.
- I need to stabilize things before I can grow.
- I’m just tired.
During these seasons progress looks like showing up. Doing the small things. Just not quitting. Keeping the lights on. Or maybe asking for help. Sometimes the right goal is just consistency.
The only scorecard that matters
This is the core ethos of the The White Belt Mentality. You are on your own journey. The only comparison that actually matters is who you are today versus who you were yesterday. And putting in the daily work toward where you want to go.
Progress isn’t measured against someone else’s highlight reel or their January enthusiasm. It’s measured internally, over time, and with the appropriate context.
A white belt doesn’t worry about where they’ll be in five years. They worry about their stance. They show up, they learn, and they survive the next round. But they come back tomorrow.
That’s enough.
“But… life is really good right now!”
If that’s you, that’s incredible! Seriously. Enjoy it.
If you have the momentum, ride it, and see where it will take you. But do it with humility. Momentum is a gift. Most of us won’t feel high energy forever. So soak it in, be grateful, and maybe reach out to a friend who isn’t having the same kind of January. They might need that connection more than they’ll say.
A permission slip (and small invitation)
If this year is starting slow for you that doesn’t mean it will end small.
You don’t owe the New Year a reinvention. You don’t owe January a breakthrough. You don’t owe anyone proof that you’re “on.”
Some seasons are all about growth. Some are about holding steady. Some are about healing. All of them count. If this is a quiet, heavy, or just an uncertain start for you, know you’re not alone. And you’re definitely not doing it wrong.
Just keep showing up. That’s the real work.
Dillon Ferdinandi 