January often arrives with pressure to plan, optimise, and commit — even before we’ve fully returned to ourselves. In this post, we invite you to pause and reset differently. Instead of building a new plan, we guide you through a simple clarity exercise to help you identify what truly matters in your academic work this year — calmly, realistically, and without overwhelm.
Introduction
The first days of January can feel deceptively quiet.
The inbox is still manageable. Meetings haven’t fully resumed. There’s a sense that this might finally be the year things fall into place.
And yet, beneath that calm, many researchers feel an undercurrent of pressure:
- I should have a plan by now.
- I should know what my priorities are.
- I should feel more motivated than I do.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone.
Every year, we see researchers — PhD candidates, postdocs, and senior academics alike — start January believing they need a new plan. A better plan. A more ambitious one.
But in most cases, what they actually need is something else entirely.
They need clarity.
Why January planning so often backfires
January planning often fails not because researchers lack discipline or ambition — but because it happens too early and under too much pressure.
At this point in the year:
- Energy levels are still uneven
- Last year’s unfinished tasks are mentally present
- External expectations (from institutions, supervisors, funders) are vague but looming
Trying to build a detailed annual plan in this state often leads to:
- overly long to-do lists,
- competing priorities,
- and a persistent feeling of being behind before the year has truly started.
Instead of creating momentum, planning too early can increase stress.
The difference between planning and clarity
Planning answers the question: “What exactly will I do, and when?”
Clarity answers a different, more foundational question: “What actually matters right now — and what does not?”
Without clarity, plans become brittle. They are easily disrupted and quickly abandoned.
With clarity, even simple plans hold — because they are anchored in what is realistic, meaningful, and aligned with your current situation.
January is far better suited for clarity work than for detailed planning.
A simpler January reset: three questions that matter
Before creating goals, timelines, or productivity systems, we recommend starting with just three questions:
1. What deserves my primary attention this year?
Not everything that is important needs to be urgent.
Try to name no more than three priority directions — not tasks, but themes.
Examples might include:
- completing a specific paper,
- stabilising your workload,
- rebuilding confidence after a difficult year,
- or developing a new skill.
2. What can wait — without guilt?
Every year includes work that matters, but not now.
Consciously deciding to defer certain projects can be an act of strategic focus, not failure.
3. What kind of year do I want this to feel like?
This question is often overlooked — yet it shapes every decision you make.
Do you want a year that feels:
- steady?
- spacious?
- focused?
- reparative?
- quietly productive?
Clarity begins when you allow these answers to guide your choices.
A 30-minute clarity exercise to start the year calmly
To make this process easier, we created a short, practical worksheet you can complete in about 30 minutes:
Your One-Page Academic Priority Map (2026)
The exercise helps you:
- identify your top three priority directions,
- consciously release lower-priority commitments,
- articulate one guiding principle for your academic year.
It is not a planner.
It is not a goal-setting system.
It is a thinking tool — designed to give you orientation before the year accelerates.
Download the free Academic Reset Sheet here
What comes after clarity
Once clarity is in place, planning becomes lighter — and more effective.
Decisions are easier.
Trade-offs feel less personal.
Progress feels more intentional.
You don’t need to have everything figured out in January.
You just need a clear sense of direction.
The rest can unfold step by step.
Conclusion
If the start of this year feels quieter, slower, or less decisive than you expected — that may not be a problem to fix.
It may be exactly what you need.
Take the time to clarify what matters before committing to how you’ll get there.
A clear year is far more powerful than a perfectly planned one.
Relevant resources
If you’d like to continue reflecting on clarity, priorities, and academic well-being at the start of the year, you may also find these Smart Academics Blog posts helpful:
#141: 5 small wins academics forget to celebrate before the holidays
#113: What is your top PhD priority?
#94: The researcher’s guide to holidays
#72: 1000 things to do – no clue where to start
#59: Overwhelmed by PhD work? Here’s the way out!
Download the free Academic Reset Sheet here
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