Why January Was Never Meant to Be the New Year (And Why Imbolc Makes More Sense)
Why January was Never Meant to be New Year
Every January we’re told to begin again. Set goals. Create plans. Push forward. Iqualified as a PT in 2017 and Pilates Teacher in 2018. I ran my own Pilates studio and I participated in New Year challenges, goals with my clients but it never really felt aligned. It was always focused on weight loss or becoming a better version of you! I was pretty happy with who I was and so were most of my clients.
When I closed the studio, post Covid and returned to my natural business roots, one thing was for sure, everything was going to be aligned and everything was going to be intentional. I stopped wearing a fitbit so I wasn't chained to counting steps and could enjoy my walks. And I was slow to emerge from Christmas and January was still part of my hibernation season. For some, February and March are too.
For me January feels heavy, slow and resistant.
Low energy. Dark mornings. A nervous system still recovering from the end of the previous year.
If you’ve ever felt like January asks too much, too soon, you’re not imagining it.
Because January as “New Year” isn’t natural.
It’s constructed. Let me explain.
Time Was Once Cyclical, Not Linear
Long before modern calendars, time was measured by the moon, not the sun.
Early calendars followed 13 lunar cycles, each lasting around 28 days.
Thirteen months.
Four weeks per month.
A tidy, intuitive rhythm that aligned beautifully with nature and with the human body.
This is where the phrase “a year and a day” comes from.
It’s why the number 13 was once considered sacred.
And why “baker’s dozen” still quietly carries that older logic.
This lunar way of living wasn’t chaotic, it was deeply ordered. Just not rigid.
Why the Lunar Calendar Was a Threat
Lunar calendars were closely linked to women’s bodies and their menstrual cycles.
Menstrual cycles mirror the moon.
Fertility, rest, creativity and renewal were understood as cyclical, not constant.
Because of this, early societies organised lineage through the mother.
“Blood” relationships originally meant matriarchal lines.
Creation myths centred around Mothers Goddesses.
Before fatherhood was fully understood, many cultures believed women created life independently and children formed from blood and bone. Virgin mother myths weren’t symbolic, they reflected how people understood reproduction at the time.
When patriarchy emerged alongside land ownership, inheritance and organised religion
Control Over Time Mattered.
Linear calendars replaced cyclical ones.
The number 13 was demonised.
Lunar wisdom was reframed as “unreliable”, “pagan”, or “dangerous”.
Time became something to control, not something to move with and this is how the patriarchy change time.
What We Lost When We Abandoned Cycles
With that shift, we lost something subtle but profound
Rest stopped being productive
Slowness became laziness
Winter became a time to push through, not restore
Energy was expected to be constant
And bodies, especially women’s bodies, were no longer trusted
January became the beginning because systems needed obedience, not alignment.
But our nervous systems never caught up.
Why January Still Feels Wrong
January exists in the depths of winter.
Biologically, we’re wired to conserve energy then.
Creatively, ideas are still incubating.
Emotionally, many of us are still processing what’s been.
Trying to force clarity, momentum and growth at this point often leads to Overwhelm, Burnout, Abandoned goals and Self-blame
Not because you’re inconsistent but because the timing is off.
Imbolc New Year Symbolises Renewal
Imbolc falls in early February, marking the subtle return of light.
In Ireland it aligns with St. Brigid’s Day which is about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
This day aligns with renewal, fertility and light.
It reflects the move from winter into spring.
It’s a time where there is the promise of Spring, the seeds beneath the soil are stirring and energy is beginning to rise. We are still preparing, not performing. Still gently reflecting, looking at what we take forward.
What Does This Means for Business
If you’re a creative business owner, this matters deeply. It’s time to combat the January New Year Myth.
Creativity doesn’t thrive under constant pressure.
Systems don’t stick when built in survival mode.
Content feels heavy when energy is misaligned.
When you honour cycles, when we are cycle living
Seasonal Business Planning becomes clearer
Systems feel supportive, not restrictive
Momentum builds naturally
Confidence returns
Creative Business Systems thrive
You stop forcing outcomes and start designing sustainability. Imbolc as a natural business reset and helps revive creative business energy.
An Invitation to Begin Again (Properly)
This is why I’m hosting Imbolc Reawakening on February 4th.
A full-day, in-person experience for creative business owners who want to
Reset without burnout
Build calm, practical systems
Create confident, sustainable content
Connect with community without competition
And design their year in alignment with natural rhythms
📍 The Martello, Bray Seafront
🕤 9:30am–4:30pm (doors open at 8:30am)
✨ 3 keynote speakers | 3 workshops | stress-calming tools
This isn’t about rejecting ambition. It’s about reclaiming rhythm.
Please remember as we enter January, you’re not behind, you’re not lazy, you’re not inconsistent. You’re cyclical.
And maybe February, March or April, not January is where your year truly begins.
Stop the comparison over the next few weeks. You are on your own journey. For the past four years my mantra has been My Pace, My Serenity.
Do you have a mantra, if so I’d love to hear what it is
Email me at [email protected] for more information in the
Imbolc Spring Reawakening 2026 and let me know what your mantra is.
Or if you simply want to cut the messing and go ahead and book, click on the link below
Spring Reawakening 2026 – Creative Business Planning Event
You won’t regret it!
Linda xxx
