JANUARY MENTALITY

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.

January begins and there's no spark. All the excitement of New Year intentions and motivations for positive change appear muted. The short days and long nights continue, the landscape remains bleak and our calendars are empty. We’re wondering when we’ll arrive at the exalted destination we hypothesised over Christmas, by doing a lot more of that thing, doing a lot less of that other thing, learning new skills, acquiring that prowess and following in the footsteps of our favourite figures in 2026.

Hypothesising and imagining a picture of the story you want to tell is crucial for bringing anything to fruition - it’s where everything starts. As humans we all have imagination. Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist says imagination is a profoundly serious activity that is fundamental to psychological well-being, innovation, and bringing significant ideas to fruition.

Having held an idea in our mind of how good it will be and how good it will feel when we realise our goal, we must commit. When we commit, the changes begin - we become the type of person that does what we’re striving for. Our priority changes and achieving our goal is what we shape our day around.

I’ve heard that success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing happens fast and anything that materialises to satisfy our desires quickly, never lasts. In order to build a future that excites us and to live the story we want to tell in 2026, we must build with patience and we must persevere. 

Perseverance requires faith - we do not know how long it will take. Remind yourself regularly why you started.

Perseverance requires belief - when we meet opposition, you will be tested. Remind yourself regularly why you started.

Perseverance is hard because it is monotonous and progress is not linear. We must make perseverance a habit, best practised daily. Remind yourself regularly why you started.