Snap out of it! Break through the winter doldrums to thrive.

Do you dread January? The days are short and often dreary. Spring seems so far away. The hustle and bustle of the holidays is over, and everything at work and home can feel like it requires more effort. Around this time last year, renowned executive coach Rae Ringel shared her thoughts on ways to break through the January funk at work in an article published in the Harvard Business Review. I had the privilege of learning from Rae during my coach training at Georgetown. In addition to being extraordinarily insightful and intuitive, Rae strikes a terrific balance between being cerebral and practical. She is also very funny and just plain cool. Her tips for shaking things up at work are easy to implement with the potential for a high rate of return with fairly low investment. Experimentation, iteration, appreciation, and reconnecting to your mission are at the heart of her ideas. These same principles can be applied to our lives outside of work to help us thrive during the darkest months of the year. One tool I use to navigate the winter doldrums at work and at home is my calendar.

1. Experiment. Map out your commitments for the month ahead, space out the must-do chores, add in activities that bring you joy, and strike a balance between activities that fuel your body and your mind. Resist the temptation to over-schedule.

2. Iterate. Conduct a calendar audit. Review last month’s calendar and ask yourself the following questions. Did I thrive last month? Am I energized or depleted? Joyful or going through the motions? Balanced or out of whack? Innovative or stuck? With those answers in mind, choose a small number of adjustments and map out your calendar for the next month. Make adjustments to get you closer to how you want to feel and what you want to accomplish.

3. Appreciate what’s working. Self-reflection is critical for growth. While it’s tempting to focus on what needs to change – a potential pitfall for those of us who regularly reflect on ways to be better - it’s important to reflect on what’s going well. Focus on the glass half full and work to fill it up. Look at what worked well last month and commit to incorporating more of those activities into your calendar.

4. Know yourself and plan accordingly. I am a classic introvert when it comes to energy. I love to be around people in all parts of my life – sharing, learning, having fun. I also have a difficult time being idle – I’m not terribly good at “down time.” When it comes to recharging, I need time alone, while engaging in something productive. Reading, writing, gardening – all of these are ways that I recharge. Who are you and what do you need to recharge? Plan them into your calendar.

One final note that applies to most changes in our lives: start small. Don’t look to radically change everything in one month – it won’t be sustainable. Make little shifts and work to layer them over time.

You deserve to thrive.