So the month reset has begun—just before I step from January into February—this time to close a chapter and open a new one.
Looking back at each of the steps I mentioned in my last post, I see why there was a need to focus on them individually instead of rushing through or skipping over any of them. As this month ends, I have to actually look at it. I have to accept it for what it was.
So here’s what I got from January.
First, I had new experiences mixed in with all the usual. I had my hair put into boho-style braids, filled with charms, beads, and textured curls. I tried new food—a traditional meal of pumpkin and dal kachori made for me by a good friend.
Second, I finished some things—and those endings carried new beginnings. I closed one book and opened another. I interviewed and hired a tutor for my youngest son.
Third, I returned to routine. I went back to work. I got the boys back on schedule and back to school. Their sports began again. Wake up, prepare, work, live, relax, sleep—and then do it all again. The rhythm returned.
Fourth, new things entered my life. I found a glorious dress at the mall that makes me feel like a goddess—green, satin, long, and flowing. I began reading books on my brand-new Kindle, a Christmas gift to myself. I even cried during heart-wrenching moments on its pages.
Fifth, I did the work. I planned school activities, lessons, sessions, and newsletters. I met with students. I collaborated with teachers. I joined groups. I scheduled what needed to be scheduled.
Sixth, I reconnected. I spent time with my partner—snuggling, talking, doing nothing at all. I saw friends again and had real conversations. I reconnected with colleagues and eased back into working together. I found myself appreciating, once more, the people who help hold my days together—my housekeeper, the driver, the guards who open my gate each morning.
January wasn’t useless.
It was a very full chapter.
And even though I can easily think of the hundreds of things I didn’t do, this list shows just how much I actually did.
As I close January, I return to the reset checklist—not as a set of boxes to check, but as invitations to explore more slowly. Rest, reflection, routine, reconnection, creativity, intention, and renewal all showed up this month in quiet, imperfect ways. Nothing was fully resolved, and nothing needed to be. February doesn’t ask me to start over; it asks me to listen more closely. In the weeks ahead, I’ll be unpacking each of these seven areas one at a time—looking at what supported me, what stretched me, and what still feels tender. January laid the groundwork. Now I get to step forward with curiosity instead of pressure, allowing the next chapter to unfold rather than be forced.
January did not need to prove itself—it simply needed to be witnessed.
Well-Stirred & Wondering 
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