Do you think in academic years? I realised recently that I do, even though I don’t work in academia. When September comes it’s always a new beginning and a chance to do things differently and better. This sense of the year turning has made me reflect on how I imagine the year. And here’s what I want to ask you…

Does your year have a shape? How do you picture the year? Mine is like an ellipse, or a squashed balloon. August is at one of the shorter ends, and December is at the other. The longer sides are Sept to Dec and Jan to July, with Easter somewhere along the middle of a side, teetering near April 5th (that other new year). August is sort of green coloured and December is (a rather bleak) white. A friend of mine sees the year in colours according to the seasons; for another friend the year is linear. I wonder how our different images of the year affect how we see time, and our place in it?

Of course, we all inhabit several different ‘years’ simultaneously. For those of us in the business, there’s the financial year; for people of faith, there are festivals that mark our particular faith’s new year. Each new year has a different start date. Our brains are constantly working in more than one year at a time – a multidimensional tapestry of years, if you like, weaving in and out of each other. Some mean more to us than others. The conceptual framework of ‘year’ that means least to me, I realise, is the calendar one – January to December. That particular ‘new year’ falls in the middle of the academic year, fairly late in the financial year, and doesn’t even mark a change of season, (though it’s a good excuse for a party in midwinter!)

What fascinates me about all this is how we conceptualise our year. Could how we visualise our year affect our positivity, productivity, and creativity, even our well-being, I wonder?

As this particular new academic year ramps up, I wish you excitement, enthusiasm, and energy in your endeavours. As for me, as the gales blow and the year turns, I’m rounding the corner of my ellipse into the long strait, with impetus born of the August lull propelling me forward. Here’s to enjoying the ride! Happy new year, everyone!

Based in Leytonstone, London, Julia Caddick is a dynamic voice and presentation coach with over 30 years of experience in music, theatre, and communication. She helps business leaders, teams, and individuals deliver clear, authentic, and impactful presentations—both in person and online.