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In my first episode of 2022, I talk about how I’m getting through the darkest month of the year, and why January can actually be a great time reflect, reset, and build a stronger you for the year ahead.
Being a startup founder is not all private jets and parties. Truthfully, being a founder is a lonely, difficult, stressful, yet rewarding way to spend your life. James Gill started GoSquared with two friends from school in 2006, and in this podcast he shares his struggles, excitement, and everything in between with refreshing honesty.
James Gill: Hi everybody.
And welcome to 2022 and a
happy new year to everyone.
I know we're a few days into the new
year already, but I just wanted to.
Start the year strong, I guess.
And Thank everyone for for tuning in
last year I started lost and found a.
Towards, I guess towards
the latter end of last year.
And
And it's been such a journey so far.
I really am so grateful to
everyone who's got in touch to
inspire me to do this podcast.
And who's had a positive thoughts and
feedback on the podcast and, and hearing
other stories of other people who I
have been in a similar position to.
Me and to other founders
Going through the last few years of,
of lockdown and getting through it.
So I thought I'd start by just saying
a big thank you to everyone who's been
tuning in and, and continues to tune it.
It's it's awesome to know when I
speak into the mark frame here, it's
being heard by some people, which
is, which is very heartwarming.
I wanted to do today's show.
Focused on, on the new
year and especially.
One part of the new year that a
lot of people struggle with, which
is January and the January blues.
So I wanted to spend some time today
just to talk through how I'm feeling.
Some of the things I'm doing
to try and get through the
very dark month of January.
And and hopefully there's some interesting
stuff in here for you that might be.
Finally bought, so that's
let's get started with the show
Now starting the new year.
It often feels like if you're
on social media or a tool that.
A lot of people are racing to get started
to be then best selves and to start new
habits done you fitness regime start
new diets learn new skills and it can
sometimes feel incredibly overwhelming.
To see a lot of people seemingly
who are nailing life and
getting everything in order.
Right from the get-go.
And I think this year more than ever, I
have not been feeling quite like that.
I have been feeling.
Like having a bit of a slower ramp
up a bit more time to, to go go.
Go and get stronger.
And I've been feeling the actually the
first few days are often a good time to.
Reflect still.
And I would emphasize that
Before, starting to do anything
new before setting new goals.
I think it's, it's often, often you can
get so excited about doing that new thing
that you, you don't take the time to, to
reflect and look backwards at why things
have, and haven't worked in the past and
And so I think from my side, I'm still in
some ways spending a little bit of time.
Looking back at 2021.
And What, what the year meant for me,
how things went for me and And I think.
Even though we're still, we're a
few days in, I think there's still.
It's not really a race.
Like there's a
There's a bunch of time right now
where we can be spending it looking
at reflecting on the previous year.
I'd highly encourage anyone this thing
too, to try to do that before setting any
sort of new year's resolutions or new.
New things in motion.
If you spend some time reflecting.
It can be really, really valuable for
For just understanding more about yourself
and being a bit clearer with what, what
may be is a sensible thing to take on
and what might, what you might struggle.
With and I, I think from my side, you
know, I have sat resolutions in previous
years and some of those have stuck some
of it, but some of those haven't and.
I think it's often good to write
these down and reflect, like,
what were you thinking this time?
Last year, maybe even the year before.
And how did, how did those things
actually turn out in the end?
And that's quite it can be
quite a humbling experience.
It can be quite a refreshing, but I think
it's a good thing to do before, before
saying, saying you things in motion.
Just remember, there's a time of.
Stuff out there right now, a ton of
content, a ton of advice on being, being
the new, you being, being healthier,
being tidy, or being more successful.
And The vast majority of it, I think how.
Is it's it's well-intentioned at
times, but I think a lot of it is.
Is is put there by Paid media
publications, or by people that
are trying to sell something.
And I would just be very conscious before.
Taking too much of that to heart.
You know, Go easy on yourself and start,
start small and start by reflecting.
And I think that will help you get
a bit more grounded in what, what
really needs to matter to you.
I think a mistake that can be made is, is
jumping in thinking you need to do all of.
To do all the things basically.
Before.
Before, before really understanding
what's most important to you.
I think particularly at the
moment, We are still in this.
God awful pandemic.
That has been.
Testing all of us for
a good two years now.
And I think.
Sometimes.
I think our minds want to escape that.
Harsh reality or put it
aside, but I think especially
So wearing my personal hat now, but
also my being a founder, CEO hat.
I think you got to keep reminding
yourself of that, that everyone
around you, everyone on your
team and yourself included.
These are not normal times
or the new normal is not.
It's not.
The best place to be.
And I think it's really important
to try and remind yourself to
go a bit easier on yourself.
I think that might be a good
reason, a big reason why.
I'm not feeling like I need to jump into
everything at the start of this year.
It, it feels like we are.
Running a very long race at
the moment, a long marathon.
And we're just not sure when
it's actually going to end.
And.
The month of January, at least in the
UK is a very dark and dreary month.
I'm talking to you now.
It's not that late in the evening,
but it was pitch black outside.
And.
It's cold and it's wet.
And all of these things combined.
With the, with the.
With the seemingly endless.
Time spent indoors in the same
environment, the monotony of it.
Is.
Is incredibly testing on each of us and
it affects us each in different ways.
And I think it's really, really
important to try to make sure you.
In anything you're setting out
to do at the start of this year.
Too.
To be cognizant of that
and to make sure you do.
Go easy.
And I think importantly, ramp up
to anything you want to be doing.
You don't need to go all in.
You don't need to jump
in at the dependent.
And tackle things head on and take
huge tasks on, because I think that
that is a recipe for ultimately
crashing and burning quite quickly.
I think.
For me at least.
Ramping up building.
If you habits back into my routine is.
Is is what I'm trying to do.
And I think rather than setting
big audacious goals, I'm trying
to reflect on what are the.
What are the things I was trying to
achieve last year and how can I bake
those things into small habits, small
daily habits, weekly habits that.
Hopefully I can build up
again into more of a routine.
And rather than trying to.
Say.
Paint a picture every day or write a blog
post every day or get a podcast episode
like this out every single day, trying
to think about small, but significant
steps towards that, that can be taken.
And, and especially starting small
and not trying to tackle too much.
And so.
I've been looking back at some
of my daily habits as well.
And seeing how many of them drifted off
and dropped off at the end of last year.
At least in London at the end of last
year, everyone was staying inside
trying to avoid catching COVID.
And and it's been.
I wouldn't be surprised
if the majority of people.
Listening have, have really
struggled to maintain a consistent
routine and consistent habits.
Right through to the end of last
year, because there's so much
stuff that's happening in life.
That's happening in the world.
That is.
Doing a toddler.
As to pull ourselves away from
getting all of our lives in.
The ways we want to.
So I think starting small building
up, ramping up, and I'm trying
to think about your routine more
than anything is Is I think.
Pretty sensible advice to, to start
to start as you mean to go on.
I also want to touch on year's
resolutions in particular.
I think each year.
It seems like when we switched
between these two arbitrary points
in time, the point where the end of
December meets the start of January,
we all decide that it's a good time
to Set new year's resolutions and.
I think that sometimes at sea, not
the best place to set new year's
resolutions or to set resolutions
or major changes in our life.
I think from, from my side, I know
that once I've had that Christmas
break, I can sometimes feel like I.
Have an endless supply of time because
they'd been on holiday for a while.
I've been relaxing.
I've been chilling out and I've
not been living my, my normal life,
which is actually working day to day.
And.
Running a team and running a company.
And so I would, I would stress that.
You know, you don't need to wait for.
New years to set resolutions.
And you certainly don't need to fill
that because new years has passed that.
You've missed the boat to set resolutions.
And I also think that actually.
Resolutions themselves.
Perhaps a little bit superficial
To, to actually achieving change
that you might want to see in life.
And I think one of the most valuable
things I've done in the last
two years has been working with.
A coach to help me.
Get clear on what's important in my life.
And one of the things she
really encouraged me to do
was to define my values.
And I really, really felt that this was
all nonsense and I even feel slightly
cringy saying it now, because I know
what I would be thinking, hearing that.
Oh, God values.
That sound suit.
It sounds so cringy.
Everything.
Yeah, but I think for me, What
about actually managed to find is
that there are a few areas that
I really value highly in my life.
And, and I don't think I was
clear enough on those in the past.
And now when I think about
changes in my life, changes in my
schedule, changes in what I want
to achieve and what I want to do.
They almost always come back
to those values and And, and
your couple of core things.
And I think when you, when you have
that clarity, then it can really
help you think about how you spend
your time about what you commit to.
About what you see?
No, two.
And about making smaller changes that can
actually all add up into a much bigger
picture change for you as an individual.
So I think for me, it's really been
about reminding myself as these values
really kind of reflecting on the last
year of uh, how well I've been kind of.
Living up to those or living with
those values and achieving those
things that I wanted to achieve.
And.
Really thinking about which of the
habits that I've been successfully
keeping, which are the ones I've.
Really.
Been rubbish out and need to kind of.
Re rethink.
And also looking at the ones which
just haven't been serving me that
great, and being a bit more brutal
about whether or not I should keep
them or just get rid of them and allow
myself to focus that time elsewhere.
So I think.
They say a few things.
I, I, I.
Don't think I have too much more
to say on, on the topic of January
blues over then, I would also
encourage you if possible, to try
to put something on the horizon.
Maybe for the end of January,
maybe the start of February.
That you will look forward to
something that you can maybe
when, when times get tough, try to
think of something that you might.
Be hopeful for looking forward to wherever
that's I don't know, booking yourself.
Stays somewhere.
It would be lovely.
These.
These crazy times, or maybe it's treating
yourself to some item of clothing.
You've.
You've wanted or didn't get
for Christmas or maybe it's.
Investing in some crypto wars.
I don't know, whatever the heck.
Your, your interested in or excited about
maybe make yourself a little promise.
To, to reward yourself
at the end of January.
And I think knowing that
you've got that reward coming.
Can be a helpful way to pull you
through the darkest times in this
month and hopefully get you on.
On on the, on the right track and,
and feeling upbeat again in no time.
So, yeah, hopefully that's helpful.
And I, I really I think it's, it's
been nice to do another episode.
It's been a long time since
I did an episode of the show.
And it is always an honor to
be able to speak to, to you.
Did listeners.
If there are.
If there was one request I would have
for anyone listening, it would be that.
I would love to hear more about
what you want from me this year
and from, from this podcast.
I'm sure any of you tuning in.
Uh, Our listing for one reason or
another, it's always really helpful
for me to hear those reasons.
So that I can keep making the
show better and keep doing it
and keep making it valuable.
So if you did have any thoughts, if you
did want to hear more on any topic, if you
wanted me to dig deeper into anything, if
you wanted me to open up about any topic.
Please let me know.
And I'll I'll consider
it for a future episode.
So yeah, I think that's all for
me for the first episode of 2022.
Thank you so much for listening
and I'll catch you next time.
Have a good start to the year!