Welcome back. New year, clean slate

Time to start something new and fresh.

Except… no.

January is already hard enough.
Cold, dark, money spent, routine back with a thud. There’s a reason “Blue Monday” gets talked about this time of year, even if the science is shaky. People feel it.

So here’s a different move.

Make January about finishing.

Give your teams clear direction:

We’re not starting anything new until what’s already in progress is properly finished and in the hands of customers.

Nothing new.
No “just one more thing”.
Fight the urge.

Not as a rule. As a gift.

Because finishing work changes how people feel. It creates pride. Relief. Momentum. That quiet satisfaction of saying, “We actually got that done.”

I’ve seen teams light up when they talk about what they’ve finished. They don’t need motivating. They just need the space to see their progress.

This is what I mean by start finishing, stop starting.

Before you pile new work onto tired teams this January, pause.
Finish something properly.
Celebrate it.

Everything else flows from that.