everybody cries in january

a mid-month check-in

dear diary,

I’ve had this thought lately that being a human in January is kind of like being on an airplane. You’re in this transitional state, but also a state of extreme emotion, and it practically demands you look out a window and contemplate. Maybe this is just the altitude talking but I feel like I’ve been extra nostalgic this year.

I’ve tried to be more in the moment. This is another thing January likes to do. It’s time to reflect on your past but it’s also time to move forward. This is what countless quotes plastered on the January internet tell us. I’ve been saving some key phrases to my 2024 inspo board on Pinterest, but it’s the phrase I’m not saving that has stuck with me this week. I kept seeing things like ‘2024 is the year I protect myself’ and I had the epiphany that I need 2024 to be the opposite.

I’ve been protecting myself for too long. I value safety and comfort and if I don’t feel ready for something I’m probably not going to do it. When you live that way you can do a very good job of maintaining where you’re at, but it doesn’t exactly get you where you need to go. I need to be leaning into my discomfort and moving from self-preservation to self-actualization

What does that look like? I don’t really know yet. It requires a lot of unlearning. On my in and out list, I stated I’m no longer calling negativity being realistic and that feels like a good place to start. Once you identify a pattern like this in yourself it’s so much easier to stop. January is facing your fears including your fear of yourself.

That being said, let’s do a little mid-month check-in on our January Reset:

So we’ve got three out of five items checked here. I had a little collage date with my sister and we ended up spending the whole Saturday together. We covered her table in magazine clippings, had homemade hot chocolate, and watched flurries swarm out her kitchen window. All of this must’ve been pretty inspiring because it led to us spending the second half of the day working on music together. I also managed to start using my 2024 planner. It feels very Devil Wears Prada to have a physical calendar and I approve! My closet cleanout was my longest project of the month, but now that it’s over I can focus on the lovely little things.

It was one of my little reminders for the month to read voraciously and so far I’ve been reading…tepidly. Ordinarily this would disappoint me, but I’m letting it slide because I’ve been doing so much more writing. It’s been such a joy to create this content for you, and I can’t wait to hear how everybody’s January has been going. Please report back if you understand the thing about airplanes.

I’ll see you February 1st for our next adventure :)

xo,

Julianna