January blues? Not in my house

 Why January is my favourite month!

The first month of the calendar gets a bad rap for being extremely long, money-free and generally miserable. 

If December is the happy, carefree poster child of non-stop partying, travel, eating and drinking, then January is the direct opposite.

Thirty-one long days of no-alcohol resolutions, involuntary veganism/vegetarianism and, overall, all manner of punishment for daring to have fun in December.

Across the border in Kenya it is referred to as “Njaa-nuary”, Njaa being the Swahili word for hunger.

How sad is that!

Granted January can be a hard time of year:

•  For those in the northern hemisphere, January coincides with wintertime depression known as “Seasonal Affective Disorder” (Sad). The symptoms include a persistent sadness or anxiety lasting for at least two weeks; a sense of hopelessness and worthlessness; decreased energy; overeating; and oversleeping.

•  And for almost all of us, December being the festive month is filled with celebrations, gift-giving, and indulgences which can be pretty expensive. The aftermath of the season’s hefty spending leaves many people dragging themselves through January, desperately looking to February for relief.

Little wonder then that many people suffer from January blues.

Not me though! January is, in fact, my favourite month.

One: it’s the start of the year, it’s fresh and full of possibilities — this feeling that I can do anything I set my mind on. Whether it’s setting new goals for the year or plotting adventures. It’s all there for the taking.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, I was born in January. As were two of my brothers, my nephew, my cousin and at least four of my good friends. I often get together with these friends to celebrate our birthdays.

For this reason, I reject the idea of January being THAT month. January is my happy month, a time to celebrate myself and the fact that my (awesome) self was born. And to celebrate some of the people I love the most.

Fixing my mindset: a conscious choice

I was not always this upbeat about January. Just like most people I once went along with the concept of January blues and the scarcity following the December spend. After all it was a concept you grew up hearing and on into adulthood; it is so pervasive.

Our mindset sets the foundation for the way we experience life.

So, as I learned more about wellness, money management and the benefits of cultivating a growth mindset, I began to let go of that idea.

 So I refuse to see January as that month; long miserable and to be merely endured. For me January is a time of celebration, of abundance, regardless of what the memes and jokes say.

In addition to choosing a positive outlook I have chosen to implement a few practical steps to enable me enjoy January:

1. Adopting better money habits: Over the last couple of years I have been really deliberate about building a habit of saving, budgeting, and tracking my spending throughout the year. By doing so I ensure I have enough to celebrate my birthday, and generally enjoy a bountiful January.

2. Getting a head start on my holiday budget. I deliberately start to  save for the December holiday in January of the preceding year. This way, nothing takes me by surprise when December rolls around. A well-thought-out budget is one of the best tools for getting through the December festivities and enjoying January, I have learnt.

So this January, I’m going to live abundantly. I’m going to celebrate birthdays. I’m going to make plans for the year; the places I want to travel to, the books I want to read and the goals I want to achieve.

And start to plan ahead for December and for January next year!

By Martha Songa