Why I'm spending January in monk mode
Happy 2025. Some people hate January. Not me.
It’s my favorite time of the year.
It’s a time full of hope and purpose.
I spend the first few days of January in monk mode.
I ask myself what worked in 2025. Some highlights include starting a daily newsletter, training for an Ironman in Cascais and seeing Taylor Swift with my daughter.
I spend more time on what didn’t work!
Some lowlights include anything to do with SEO and Google in 2024. I also didn’t have much success trying to sell directly on social media (these days I only use social to grow my email list).
And I over spent on business coaches and training only to be shortchanged or give generic advice.
I figure out these things by reviewing my stats and journal entries from the past 12 months. I ask myself questions like “What should I do more of?” or “What should I say no to?”
I spend a few days in monk mode (I’ve the receding hairline to prove it!) Then, I pick one or two projects to work on for the next 90 days. Usually one of these projects is creative and another brings money into my business.
I pick 90 days as that’s more than enough time to gain momentum on a project, but not so much that I can procrastinate or put things off because “I’ve got time.”
90 days gives me enough time to figure out if a project is a waste of time, like last year when I spent three months creating short-form content. I also like a few days between seasons to reset.
Here are a few things you do in 90 days:
Follow early morning routine for creative work
Train for a marathon
Write a daily newsletter
Get 1000 email subscribers
Create a product or offer for your business
Write the first draft of a book
Add $3-5k in recurring income to your business
The trick is to pick one or two things from a list like that. Focus on what matters most you.
Now, you can do a lot more than one or two things in 90 days. But I discovered a few years ago to put first things first.
Whatever you decide, January is here and it’s offering up a nice clean slate. We can write anything it.