Starting the year in the quiet (and the echo)
January feels… very quiet.
Especially the inbox. I half expect a digital tumbleweed to roll by any minute now.
After the emotional chaos of Christmas, followed by a suspiciously silent January, you’d be forgiven for wondering if something is broken. You refresh your emails. Check your stats. Refresh again. All while nursing a coffee and pretending you’re definitely not panicking.
But don’t worry — this is normal.
The January slowdown is something every small business goes through. It’s not a problem to fix, just a phase to move through. Think of it as the business equivalent of a lie-in. A chance to stretch, blink at the light, and ease into the months ahead with some very gentle goal-setting.
When the quiet makes you want to panic-plan
As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, January has a habit of triggering dramatic goal-setting. New year, new energy, new plans… all at once.
It’s lovely to feel excited about your business — especially if December went well. But instead of rushing to overhaul your branding, strategy, and possibly your entire personality 😉, why not take a step back?
Social media rarely shows this awkward in-between stage of running a small business. The quiet days. The thinking days. The “what am I actually doing?” days. So it can feel isolating — but you’re not alone. This lull is simply part of the cycle.
Remembering that small businesses have seasons too
Just like the actual seasons, businesses have rhythms. A busy December. A hibernating January. A perfectly reasonable time for your business to metaphorically sit under a blanket for a bit.
Slower months are normal — and honestly, they’re needed. The trick isn’t to dread them, but to decide how you’ll use that extra breathing space (preferably from a cosy spot on the sofa).
Choosing intentions that suit January energy
January is not loud. So your goals don’t need to be either.
Instead of diving in headfirst, use this time to ease into the year. January is low-energy, and that’s okay. Keep goals small and simple. Three or four at most. No hard deadlines. Nothing that makes you want to crawl back under the duvet.
My January energy is best described as “hibernating bear.” Slow, sleepy, and always hungry. I do a lot of gentle pottering — and honestly, that’s enough for now.
My gentle goals for the year (powered by tea and realistic expectations)
In my business
- Steady progress. When I first started, I wanted to expand fast. It didn’t work — it just got messy (especially when done in slippers).
- Use quiet days for thinking, planning, and mildly rearranging to-do lists.
- Start mapping out social media campaigns around holidays and events.
- Make space for ideas without forcing them to show up immediately.
In my workday
- Accept that slow mornings are a dream… just not when you have a 5-year-old to get to school.
- Enjoy that moment after the school run — watching the sun rise with a coffee feels like a small win.
- Stop filling quiet time with pointless admin just to feel “busy” (I’m very guilty of this).
- Log off on time. School run = non-negotiable.
In my personal life
- Enjoy the calm instead of side-eyeing it.
- Dedicate one weekday just for me — which has been surprisingly refreshing.
- Ease back into routines gently.
- Accept that rest is productive, even if it doesn’t come with a checklist.
Redefining success in a slower season
January makes comparison especially tempting. But success isn’t always measured in sales.
Sometimes success looks like building something sustainable instead of burning out before February. Slow and steady still counts.
Celebrate the underrated wins:
Fewer tabs open. Warm hands. Discovering ITVX has the full Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet series. The popcorn-flavoured Malteser bunny being back in shops. Little wins matter too.
Letting the year unfold at its own pace
Flexibility is one of the main reasons I started my business — especially with childcare in the mix. January is the perfect time to lean into that flexibility, let things warm up naturally, and get creative again.
Of course, all plans change the moment a sale comes in. And that’s fine too. That’s business.
Goals aren’t contracts. They’re more like suggestions. Or, if you’re anything like my 5-year-old son, something to completely ignore while doing your own thing.
A cosy, reassuring close
This post-Christmas slowdown is temporary. I’ve been doing this for four years now — it happens every time, and business always picks up again.
Enjoy the quiet while it’s here. Don’t feel guilty for resting. I have a stack of books waiting for me, and I know I won’t have this kind of time later in the year.
January is for easing in. Not sprinting.
It’s okay to move slowly.
Do you have any tips for easing into a new year? Or thoughts you’d like to share? Feel free to leave a comment below or follow me on social media (links below).
Thank you so much for reading — and if you fancy it, you can read more blog posts here.
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