When January Feels Heavy (Not Inspiring)

I find that January arrives with a lot of noise.

New goals. Fresh starts. Big expectations. And often, a quiet pressure to feel more motivated, more organized, or more confident about money than you actually do.

If January feels heavy instead of inspiring, you are not alone. This is exactly why I believe in delivering expert financial advice for real people. Not perfect people. Not people who start the year with endless energy. Just real people living real lives.

January also includes what many refer to as Blue Monday, often described as the most emotionally heavy day of the year. While the name itself is informal, the experience is familiar. Short days, post holiday fatigue, and financial stress tend to show up all at once.

If money feels louder right now, nothing is wrong with you.

Reflecting without shame

At the start of a new year, reflection is often encouraged, but too often it turns into self criticism.

This is not about what you should have done differently. It is about noticing.

You might gently ask yourself:

• Where did money feel stressful last year?
• When did it feel calmer or more aligned?
• What patterns kept showing up, even when you wanted change?

This kind of reflection is not about fixing anything. It is about understanding. And understanding is where clarity begins.

Understanding your money patterns

Many people assume their money struggles come from a lack of discipline or knowledge. In reality, money behaviour is shaped much earlier than most of us realize.

In my Financial Wellness Workshop, I use an exercise called the Money Egg to help people understand their relationship with money. It is a simple visual tool that looks at how early experiences, messages, and family dynamics shaped what money came to mean to you, things like safety, success, control, or scarcity.

Those early experiences quietly influence how we spend, save, worry, or avoid money today.

This is why knowing what you “should” do often does not lead to change. When you understand why you react the way you do with money, decisions start to feel easier and more aligned.

You are not bad with money. You learned patterns that once made sense.

Values based intentions instead of resolutions

Rather than setting strict resolutions, I encourage values based intentions.

Values give direction without pressure. They help guide decisions without requiring perfection.

For example:

• If you value security, clarity around your cash flow may matter more than maximizing contributions.
• If you value calm, reducing financial overwhelm may be the real priority.
• If you value freedom, aligning spending with what truly matters may feel most supportive.

One intention is enough. Clarity does not come from doing everything at once.

This Month in Your Financial Life

January is a quiet planning month. It is less about action and more about orientation.

• RRSP season begins
  The RRSP contribution deadline for the 2025 tax year is March 2, 2026. January is a good time to notice whether contributing fits your values, cash flow, and goals this year. There is no need to rush. Clarity comes before action.
• Year end information starts to arrive
  T4s and investment statements will begin showing up over the coming weeks. This is information gathering, not decision making. Simply knowing what you have is enough for now.

Planning reminders are here to inform, not pressure. Timing matters, but your circumstances matter more.

A gentle place to start - Financial Wellness Workshop 

If you would like support understanding your money patterns and finding clarity without judgment, my next Financial Wellness Workshop officially launches January 19th, 2026. It is a calm, supportive space rooted in expert financial advice for real people.

You are welcome whether you feel confident, uncertain, or somewhere in between.

The workshop is 6 weeks and is only $500 plus GST. I only run this workshop twice a year, and spaces are limited. If you want to sign up for the full workshop, here is the link! To hear how others have benefitted from this workshop, check this out!