Is January your favourite month? It’s mine, and in this episode of Productivity Hacks, I’m sharing why, and how you can make it yours too. We’ll talk about shifting your mindset to harness the energy of the fresh start effect, setting meaningful intentions, and turning January into your springboard for a productive, purposeful year. I’ll guide you through choosing a word of the year to anchor your goals and reflect on who you want to become in 2025. Ready to start the year with clarity, confidence, and excitement? Have a listen!
Here are some questions to Reflect On:
If you want to connect with Victoria and book in for a coaching with collage session – head to LinkedIn here or check out her substack here.
I am looking for potential guests for my show in 2025 – if you think you’d be a great fit or know someone who would, message me on [email protected]
January often gets a bad reputation. The post-Christmas slump, the dark mornings, the pressure of new year’s resolutions—it can all feel a bit much. But what if I told you that January has the potential to be your most powerful month of the year? Instead of dragging yourself through it, you can use it as a launchpad for a productive and purposeful 2025. Let’s talk about how to shift your mindset, harness the fresh start effect, and make January your favourite month.
After the excitement and relaxation of Christmas, returning to routine can feel overwhelming. Psychologically, this is because we experience a dopamine crash. The high of celebrations is followed by a drop in motivation, making normal life feel dull in comparison. Add in the weight of expectations for the new year, and it’s no wonder many people struggle.
But here’s the secret: January is actually one of the most powerful months of the year. It taps into what’s known as the fresh start effect—a psychological phenomenon where moments that mark a new beginning (like a new year) make us more motivated and ready for change. The key is to harness this effect without overwhelming yourself with impossible goals.
Instead of rushing into a long list of resolutions, take a step back. Ask yourself: Who do I want to be this year? Setting a guiding intention for the year is more powerful than a list of rigid goals. Your actions will naturally align with your intentions when you focus on who you want to become rather than just what you want to do.
One of my favourite practices is choosing a word for the year. This word acts as an anchor, guiding your decisions and priorities. It taps into psychological priming, meaning your brain starts noticing opportunities that align with your chosen word.
My word for 2025? Aligned Adventure. I want to say yes to exciting new experiences that align with my values, my business, and my personal growth. What’s yours? If you haven’t got one yet, don’t worry – listen to Episode 10 of the podcast to help you set one!
Whenever my kids and I have had a rough day, we draw an imaginary line on the floor and step over it. It’s a way of resetting, leaving behind whatever wasn’t working, and moving forward. You can do the same with January. Draw a metaphorical line, step into the month with a fresh mindset, and leave behind any negativity from the past year.
Instead of trying to do all the things, focus on the important things. Productivity isn’t about cramming your schedule; it’s about directing your energy towards what truly matters. Ask yourself:
What’s the one thing that will make the biggest impact for me this month?
How can I work in a way that’s sustainable and fulfilling?
What small habits will support my goals long-term?
January doesn’t have to be all about work and structure. Plan things that make you happy—whether that’s reading a new book, booking a weekend away, or simply making time to see friends. If you actively create moments to look forward to, January becomes something to enjoy, not just endure.
Instead of dreading January, challenge yourself to love it. See it as an opportunity to reset, to build new habits, and to create momentum for the rest of the year.
What’s one quality or value I want to embody this year?
How can that show up in my work, relationships, and personal growth?
What’s one small habit I can start today that aligns with my vision?
By setting the right intentions, keeping things simple, and embracing the fresh start effect, January can be your most exciting and productive month yet.
Let’s make it a great one. 🚀
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Hey there and welcome to Productivity Hacks, your go-to podcast for quick hacks to help you to get things done and to do them well. I’m Jasmine, your host, productivity coach and consultant, and my mission is to help people increase their productivity so that they have time for what really matters. Each week, I’ll bring you a short episode packed with tips that you can implement right away to boost your output. So let’s dive in. Hey, and welcome back to the Productivity Hacks podcast, where I aim to help you get more of the important things done in less time, with intention and ease. I’m Jasmine, and today we’re talking about January. It is my favorite month of the year and I want to show you why and how you can shift your mindset to hit the ground running in January. It is my favourite month of the year and I want to show you why and how you can shift your mindset to hit the ground running in January, taking that post-Christmas energy and turning it into productivity and purpose. But first I want to be a little self-indulgent and give you guys some thank yous.
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At the time of recording this, it has been 10 weeks since I launched Productivity Hacks on the 18th of October. There are 11 episodes and 1,533 downloads from 258 cities in 35 countries. Each episode gets around 95 downloads in its first week, gets around 95 downloads in its first week, which puts this between the top 50% of podcasts, which is 28 downloads in its first week, and 25%, which is 111 downloads in its first week. It has been a bit of a journey learning how to write, record and upload episodes, but I have loved it and this podcast is one of my most favorite things in my business. It and this podcast is one of my most favourite things in my business. I get such a buzz seeing where you are listening from.
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The top locations are Leeds and Keithley in West Yorkshire, uk, which isn’t a surprise considering I am a born and bred Yorkshire lass. I grew up in Bradford and I currently live in Silsdon, which is between Keithley and Skipton. Thank you so much, leeds, for being 5% of my downloads. I really appreciate each and every listen, even if I’m not allowed to like your football team. The UK is my top location with 81% of listens. Second is the US and third is Canada, followed by Switzerland, where my sister-in-law is my main supporter. Thank you so so much, nix, for always messaging me with your thoughts, showing me where this has made you think and how you’ve adapted the way you work as a result. Coming from a super organised professional such as yourself, this is honestly the biggest compliment, and I’m really excited that you’re going to be coming on this podcast in 2025 to share your wisdom on getting stuff done.
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Top cities outside the UK are Philadelphia, kuala Lumpur and Stockholm. It blows my mind to think that you are tuning in from these locations, so thank you. Thank you for listening and giving me the chance to Google all the wonderful locations. My google maps has never been so international. A few more thank yous are needed to those who’ve supported me the most, to Sai, my complete other half.
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At the time of writing, we are marking the 22 years we’ve been together. When you finally convinced your best friend to go out with you simply by passing your driving test Whether having a boyfriend that could drive was the original reason for going out or not, and I’ll take that secret to my grave. I am so blessed having you in my corner and you are the perfect antidote for when I get a little bit too much jazz like my kiddies, rose and Jamie deserve another thanks. They don’t listen to this yet, and when they’re asked what their mum does for work. They have no idea what to say, but luckily their dad is an easy to explain train driver. But they are the biggest blessings in my life. I work hard to give them the best start in life that I can and I try to remember to also take time to rest to give them the best mummy that I can, and I try to remember to also take time to rest to give them the best mummy that I can. Big thank you to my mum and to my dad and my lovely step mum, lizzie. Mum, thank you for always being there for me, always supporting me, and dad, I really appreciate your phone calls and all your comments about this podcast and I especially love it when you steal quotes from it to pass off as your own which means a lot my mother and father-in-law, sue and Nick, who were the first to send me super specific and wonderful feedback when I first launched.
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The feedback came when I really needed it, when I’d sent my creation out into the world and was hoping that it landed well. When I really needed it, when I’d sent my creation out into the world and was hoping that it landed well. To my sisters, jess, abby, lydia and my lovely sister-in-law, georgia. I am not thanking my brother, tom, as he’s yet to listen to an episode. However, I do think he’s listening to this one because I told him on Christmas day that he had a mention. So, tom, I’m still not thanking you, but you are my favourite brother.
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Thank you to Victoria, my coach and my friend. You are such a source of support and help and I wouldn’t have got to this place without you. Your Coaching, with Collage session in January 2024, helped shape my path for the year, and my session recently with you helped me settle on my word for the year, which is aligned adventure and yes, I know that that’s two words, but it’s my words, my year, my rules. If you’re looking for a coach to help you think outside of your linear black and white world that I can often find myself in, then coaching with a creative person like Victoria will definitely help open your eyes to the colours that exist. See the link in the show notes to connect with her. I know she has sessions available in the new year.
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Big thank you to Angela, kelly and SJ, who are regular listeners and always encourage me. You guys keep me going when I feel no one is listening. Ange, I loved when we managed to give each other an impromptu hug in Blackpool when we randomly were there at the same time a few months ago, despite you living at the other side of the country. I also loved that your husband couldn’t understand why you were going to hug a random podcaster that you’d been listening to on your journey. But here is the evidence, loud and clear, that we were friends. First, kelly, you made my day when you told me you had a notebook, especially for the thoughts that this podcast sparks in you. I love that we have a shared love of notebooks and SJ. We’re so similar in lots of ways and I’m so thankful for every comment you share on social media or message you send me about this podcast. I am so thankful that the wonderful world of Temple Spa connected us and so many others, which I’m really grateful for.
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Two more beautiful friends need a thank you here Sarah and Jenny. You allow me to be completely me with acceptance and love. I know you never judge and always love, and I’m so grateful for our many years of friendship. That’s 28 with Sarah, who was my childhood bestie, and 16 with Jenny, since we met helping out at that charity sponsored event. If you feel aggrieved that I haven’t mentioned you personally. I am so, so sorry. There are loads of people who mean so much to me and have helped me at that charity sponsored event. If you feel aggrieved that I haven’t mentioned you personally, I am so, so sorry. There are loads of people who mean so much to me and have helped me and encouraged me along the way. But I can’t make this the longest episode ever just due to the thank yous. But I did feel it was really important to show my gratitude to some important people at this point in my podcast journey. Right, that is over with. Now to the content.
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I know January can be a bit of a tough month. After the excitement and potentially relaxation of Christmas, it can feel a little daunting to jump back into the grind. The first week back often feels like you’re still recovering from a break. There’s that mental fog and, let’s be honest, getting back into routine can feel like an uphill battle. I have a challenge for you. If you choose to accept it, instead of dreading January, I want you to love it, to see it as your launch pad. This month doesn’t have to be about dragging yourself through it. January can be a fresh start, a time to sharpen your pencils and set yourself up for a year full of meaningful, productive action. If you choose this mission, I guarantee that you will have a much better month with improved mindset and output. Do you trust me? So why does January feel so hard after the Christmas break?
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The psychology of it is fascinating. The excitement of Christmas, the festivities, the time off it all creates a kind of mental and emotional high. Then, when January comes, that high can drop quickly. You may feel overwhelmed by the weight of new goals, resolutions or expectations, and it’s common for people to experience a kind of re-entry anxiety after the Christmas season. But you can harness something called the fresh start effect. This is a concept from psychology that says we’re more motivated and productive when we perceive ourselves to be at a temporal landmark. These are moments in time that signify a fresh start, like the beginning of a new year, a birthday or even the start of the school year in September. These landmarks give us the psychological boost to leave behind the baggage of the past and focus on what lies ahead.
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To do what I do with my kids when we’ve all been having a hard time, when we’re ready to move on from the argument, the tension, the poor choices. We draw a line on the floor not real. We imaginary draw it with our foot or we use something like a carpet gripper and then we step over it. This signifies that we’ve left all that stuff behind that we no longer want to carry into the next moment. It’s freeing for us as a family. It helps us move on with better mindsets until we mess up again and draw the line again. We are definitely not perfect by a long shot. There is something you need to watch out for that sometimes comes along for the ride.
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With the feeling of the fresh start, though, when we face a new beginning like January, we can also feel a lot of pressure to do everything at once. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the possibilities. That’s why setting, clearing tensions and creating a sustainable plan is key. You can harness the energy and boost of the line drawn and the fresh start, but also keep those pressuring feelings to do all the things at bay. Remember productivity isn’t about doing all the things. It’s about doing the important things. So harness the boost for the things that are most important to you. So what can you do with this fresh start? Instead of rushing into everything at once, let January be your springboard for the year. This is the perfect time to set your intentions. And I’m not talking about the resolutions that fade by February.
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I’m talking about choosing that word for the year that we’ve mentioned that will anchor you through the ups and downs of the next 12 months. Remember it taps into something called psychological priming. By focusing on a single word, you’re priming your brain to recognise opportunities, behaviours and actions that align with that intention. It is a really powerful tool for shifting your mindset and reminding yourself of your goals throughout the year. The beauty of a word of the year is that it’s not about what you achieve or what you do. It’s about who you want to be. And that might sound a bit fluffy, but bear with me. When you decide on the person you want to become, everything else follows, whether it’s being more intentional, more focused or more courageous. Choosing your word gives you clarity and direction. If you’ve listened to my previous episode on choosing a word for the year, you’ll know I’m a big advocate for this practice. It helps create alignment in your actions and priorities.
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January can be such a powerful time. This fresh start effect taps into a deeper part of our psychology self-regulation. After the Christmas break, you might feel more ready to make changes because your brain has had a break from the usual stresses. The new year triggers a psychological reset, and that’s when we can really use it to our advantage. So, instead of diving headfirst into a list of resolutions that feel daunting, ask yourself who do I want to be this year? What values do I want to hold at the forefront of my life? That’s where the real power of January lies Not in the chaos of new beginnings, but in the clarity of intentional living.
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Use your word for the year to help you decide what you want to be this year. For my word Aligned Adventure. I want to say yes to things that feel like an adventure but are aligned to me. There is nothing wrong with adventure for adventure’s sake, and maybe one year that will be my word, but for this year, the adventures need to be aligned to who I am, with those I want to be aligned with, and in decisions for my life and business that I want to make. I also know myself, and I know that I need to prepare for an adventure. I’m not that spontaneous. By using this as my word, I am preparing mentally for adventure. So the person I want to be in 2025 is adventurous, taking risks, going into the unknown, but I also want to be authentic and keep working at figuring out who I am and where I want to be. Saying no to adventures that take me away from that. I want to focus on getting to know my soul more and stop walking down paths that once were aligned but no longer are.
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Here are some questions to reflect on. What’s one quality or value that you want to embody in 2025? How can that quality show up in your work, your relationships and your daily life? What’s one habit or action you can commit to this month that aligns with your value? And what’s one thing you’ve been putting off that this new intention will help you face head-on. So this is your call to action this January. I’m challenging you to make the choice that it will be your favourite month to really use this fresh start. Take a moment to reflect. What do you want your word of the year to be? What habits do you want to develop? Who do you want to be? What is one thing you can commit to that will help you to become the person that you want to be? Then use this as your guide. Use it to anchor your intentions to become the person that you want to be. Choose it to anchor your intentions to become the person that you want to be.
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Make the decision that January is your favourite month. Choose to see its real benefits for the boost and energy it can bring. When the world around you is telling you that January is the worst, when it tries to drag you down to feeling lacklustre and bleak. When the world tells you that you need to get your head down and just get through it, remind yourself that January is a whole twelfth of your year. It is important. Savour it, use it to build your future and be bold in telling others that you love January. Use this boldness to infect them with your energy so that they have a better January.
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I would encourage you to take a moment to set your intentions for January. I’m going to read you mine and feel free to use it for inspiration. January is my favourite month. It is the month of fresh starts, of energy and boosts. I intend to use January to springboard 2025 to make it my most productive and aligned year I have ever had. My word for the year is aligned adventure and I intend to increase my self-awareness and say yes to more adventures that are aligned to who I truly am. I am excited about where the adventures will take me and the person I will be by Christmas 2025. How does that sound? Use it as a base, write your own. It is amazing what happens when you set your intentions.
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After completing my coaching with collage session with Victoria and settling on Aligned Adventure as my word, I checked my phone to see messages from a couple of friends. They’d been talking and wanted to invite me to go away with them to Croatia next year. This felt like such a moment of confirming that aligned adventure was right. Here I was being offered adventure to a place where I’d never been before, and I’ve only ever been on one girl’s holiday. That was about six years ago. I got ill then and I spent two-thirds of the time away shut in the room. The three others that are going to Croatia are also people that I really want to align myself with. They are the type of people that make you feel great when you’re with them.
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So be open to setting your intentions and choosing a word for the year, to setting your intentions and choosing a word for the year. What is the worst thing that could happen? Also, if you dared to dream what is the best thing that could happen? As we officially start January in a few days, I thought it would be a good time to dive deeper into some different types of planning. We’ll get a bit more practical. So for the next few weeks, in Productivity Hacks, we’re going to explore long-term planning, medium-term planning that’s quarterly and monthly and short-term planning the weekly and daily. So stay tuned as we break down how to create a structured and sustainable plan that fits you In 2025,. I’m also intending on starting to have guests on this podcast, so please get in touch if you think you could be a good fit, or pass it on to someone who you think my audience would love to hear from. As always, send your ideas for episodes to me All the links are in the show notes or email me on jasmine at zestproductivitycom. That’s Jasmine with an E, so J-A-S-M-I-N-E at Z-E-S-T-P-R-O-D-U-C-T-I-V-I-T-Y dot com.
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January does not have to be a struggle. Yes, the post Christmas fog is real, but with the right tools, you can turn it into your favourite month. Remember, it’s a choice and it’s all about getting clear on your intentions and allowing the fresh start effect to work in your favor. Thank you so much for tuning in today. Let’s make this January a powerful springboard for the year ahead. Set your word and let’s get ready to make 2025 your best, most intentional and most productive year. Yet that’s it for today. Thank you for tuning in to the Productivity Hacks podcast with me, jasmine. What is your action point today? Write it down and make time to do it. If you like what you’ve heard, follow this podcast to get notifications of the weekly episodes and please, please, share it with your friends.Â
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