1.6.25 // The First Week of January

It’s the first week of January, 2026, and my motivation feels almost non-existent.
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This is the time of year when goals are set, and resolutions are made, when gyms are packed, and energy is supposed to feel forward-moving. But instead of feeling motivated or inspired, I mostly just feel​... spent.
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I chose my word of the year, fire, for many reasons. I was excited by the energy behind it, the idea of warmth returning to my actions, intentionally burning bright. After a year of “perspective” taking things in, expanding, shifting, and opening my mind, I assumed I’d be ready to turn new understanding into action.
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There’s a pattern I’ve noticed with my words over the years. One year tends to be reflective, observant, quieter. The next asks for movement​ and active effort. I’ve watched that rhythm repeat itself for almost a decade now, which is why it’s surprising to step out of perspective and into fire feeling so lethargic.
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But maybe this feeling that rests heavily in my bones and on my mind isn’t resistance. ​Perhaps this is what fire looks like in winter​- embers, a slow warming. A period of letting the weight of all that gathering and seeing begin to fall away before anything actually ignites.
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So far this year, I’ve struggled to remember that January is still winter, even as the calendar insists on newness.​ The earth hasn’t caught up to the narrative yet,​ and nature is still conserving energy, ​gently resting beneath the surface​ of frozen grounds and decaying undergrowth. So maybe I’ll let my embers burn, and my energy sleep a little longer, trusting it’s all working its way toward a bigger blaze.