FEBRUARY: Your Second Chance at a Fresh Start
Every January, we dive headfirst into the New Year with a renewed sense of purpose. We sign up for life as if it’s a free trial: full of hope, enthusiasm, and the belief that this time will be different. But let’s be honest—how often does it really work out that way?
We start a trial and either cancel it because we’ve gotten what we needed (but rarely apply what we learned), or we let it continue and end up paying for something we never use. Or perhaps, we sign up expecting a miracle—a magical transformation—but lose interest halfway through when the novelty wears off. Sound familiar?
Now, imagine if February were truly a free trial month. What would that look like? Would it mean trying out habits and routines without the pressure of commitment? You’d still have to do the essentials: drop the kids off at school, show up to work, answer emails, eat, sleep, repeat. But you could also experiment.
You could sign up for new ways of living—just for 28 days—to see what sticks. Maybe it’s going for daily walks to clear your mind, reading a few chapters of a book instead of endlessly scrolling social media, or culling connections, subscriptions, and habits that no longer serve you. No bells and whistles, but just enough to give you a taste of what the rest of the year could feel like.
And that’s the thing, isn’t it? Every New Year, we dive into resolutions without ever addressing the root of the problem. We don’t audit ourselves or reflect on what’s actually working and what isn’t. We’re chasing the high of New Year’s Eve, a sugar rush of motivation that fizzles out before February. As The Verve once sang, “The drugs don’t work.” The hype of a new year won’t fix the underlying issues if we don’t take the time to confront them.
So why not approach February differently? Treat it as a true trial—a chance to test-drive another life. Imagine saying, “For the next 28 days, I’ll sign up for…”
Maybe it’s a 10-minute morning stretch, a gratitude journal, or limiting your screen time to an hour a day. You don’t need perfection or grand gestures. The point is to experiment and reflect on what feels good, what energises you, and what’s worth keeping as you march forward into the rest of the year.
Three Free Trials I’d Sign Up for Today
Morning Magic: A 10-minute morning routine that includes stretching, deep breathing, and setting intentions for the day.
Digital Detox: Limiting social media to just 30 minutes a day to reclaim focus and mental clarity.
Connection Curator: Spending quality time with people who truly uplift you and letting go of toxic relationships or draining commitments.
*Bonus (because any trial has a bonus feature right?!) - Simplify!
Spend your downtime deleting old contacts, or people you no longer want in your life, cull accounts that appear in your feed that don’t resonate wth you anymore, delete old photos, apps and notes on your phone and computer and cancel those old subscriptions!
Audit Your Life and Reclaim Your Power with my Wheel of Life