The Quiet Power of January in Higher Education
by Claire L. Brady, EdD
In higher education, January has never felt like a true beginning to me.
While the rest of the world is busy declaring “new year, new me,” those of us shaped by academic calendars know better. Our years don’t move in neat, January-to-December arcs. They move in semesters, cohorts, cycles of arrival and departure. Fall brings intensity. Spring brings momentum. Summer brings space to breathe, rethink, and build.
January, then, isn’t the start line—it’s the midpoint.
It’s the pause. The place where we can look back at what the fall demanded of us and forward to what the spring might make possible. It’s not about dramatic reinvention; it’s about recalibration. Small, meaningful shifts. Gentle course corrections. Choosing what we want to carry forward—and what we’re ready to set down.
That’s especially true this year.
As I look ahead to the spring and summer semesters, I feel that familiar mix of energy and intention. I’m excited to travel to new campuses and continue learning alongside leaders who are doing brave, thoughtful work. I’m preparing for the launch of my book—a milestone that feels both deeply personal and professionally grounding. I’m testing new AI tools with clients that move us beyond novelty and into real, practical impact. I’m counting down to Association of Higher Education Consulting and Coaching (AHECC) ’s first in-person event, that centers community and connection. And yes—there’s also a girls’ trip with my best friend on the calendar, because joy deserves its own planning.
January doesn’t ask us to become someone new. It asks us to notice where we are. And in higher ed, that’s often exactly the reflection we need to move forward with purpose.
What are some of your own mid-year reflections and how are you moving forward with purpose?
What are you intentionally making space for in the months ahead?
How might January be a moment for clarity rather than urgency in your work?
Where could a little more gentleness—or joy—support you as the year continues?
Note: Image created using ChatGPT
