* (That You Can Actually Check Off in January)
Let’s get one thing straight.
If you work in a school, December 31 is not the end of the year. June is.
Your brain doesn’t operate on a calendar-year reset—it runs on school years, semesters, and admission cycles. Late December isn’t about reflection or reinvention; it’s about catching your breath. Campuses are quiet. Inboxes slow down. Nearly everyone is off. And no one wants to think deeply about work.
So instead of traditional New Year’s resolutions—which tend to be lofty, philosophical, and forgotten by mid-January—let’s do something far more helpful.
Let’s focus on practical, January-ready resets you can tackle when you’re back at your desk, coffee in hand, wondering how it’s already the second half of the school year. These are the kinds of resolutions you can pin on your bulletin board. And yes—you can check them off and get that dopamine hit feeling too!
Resolution #1: Clean Up One (and Only One) Thing
January does not require a complete marketing overhaul. It requires one small win.
Pick one thing that has been quietly bothering you all fall:
- An outdated webpage
- A confusing admissions email
- A form that asks for way too much information
- A social bio that hasn’t been updated since Spirit Week
Fixing one thing creates momentum—and momentum is gold in January.
January Checklist ✔️
☐ I identified one thing
☐ I fixed it
☐ I did not spiral into “while I’m at it…”
Resolution #2: Decide What You’re Not Doing This Spring
This one is wildly underrated.
Spring marketing gets busy fast, and without boundaries, everything becomes urgent. January is your moment to decide what’s not making the cut.
Maybe it’s:
- One social platform you stop trying to keep “alive”
- A recurring email that no one actually reads
- A report or task that exists purely out of habit
Less work = more clarity = better results.
January Checklist ✔️
☐ I named one thing I’m letting go of
☐ I gave myself permission to stop
☐ I didn’t feel guilty about it (okay, maybe a little)
Resolution #3: Rewrite One Message for Humans
If your messaging drifted into jargon territory this fall, you’re not alone.
January is a great time to take one key message—an admissions email, an Open House blurb, a website headline—and rewrite it like you’re speaking to a real person.
Ask yourself:
- Would I say this out loud?
- Does this sound like our school?
- Is the point clear in the first two sentences?
You don’t need more content. You need clearer content.
January Checklist ✔️
☐ I rewrote one message
☐ I removed at least one buzzword
☐ I made it shorter than before (this is the hardest part)
Resolution #3: Rewrite One Message for Humans
This is not a lofty goal. It’s a survival strategy. January is the time to set yourself up for fewer headaches later:
- Create one reusable email template
- Build a straightforward content list for February
- Block one hour on your calendar for planning (and protect it)
Future you will be grateful.
January Checklist ✔️
☐ I did one thing that helps Future Me
☐ I resisted the urge to fill every minute with execution
☐ I acknowledged that marketing is strategy—not just output
A Quick Reset Before You Dive In
None of these resolutions are meant to overhaul your marketing or add more to your plate.
They’re about regaining a little control as the second half of the school year begins—deciding what deserves your energy, what can be simplified, and what will actually move your work forward. If you do just one or two of these things in January, you’ll already be setting a different tone for the months ahead.
No big declarations. No pressure to do it all. Just a steadier, more intentional start to spring planning—on your terms.
The Hat Trick: 3 Key Takeaways
Make It Small
One fix is better than ten ideas. Progress beats perfection.
Make It Clear
Fewer priorities, clearer messaging, better results.
Make It Sustainable
January sets the tone. Don’t start the year exhausted.
