1. It's peak of SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder.

BE PREPARED: Review symptoms of SAD - http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/27.cfm . Do what you can to bring more light into office. Attend to your own needs. Remind others of theirs.

2. Valentine's Day and spiking emotions.

BE PREPARED: As has been said, Valentine's Day (which lasts about a month) is hard for those who are alone...or wish they were. It's a time of churning emotions including love, lust, hate, anger, disappointment, envy and jealousy. How will you handle bouquets and balloons arriving at your office? And distraction and disequilibrium it brings?

3. Black History Month and Martin Luther King Day.

BE PREPARED: Designed to celebrate diversity, it also emphasizes diversity. Do you have a plan?

4. Distraction.

With Valentine's day approaching, expect more shopping online, more "visiting," more phone calls, more daydreaming, less focus.

5. In southern climes, expect stirrings of spring.

BE PREPARED: In some parts of US, first balmy weather comes in February and "In spring a young man's fancy turns to..." There's a general restlessness, desire to get out and about, less focus. Also playing hooky.

6. Allergy times.

The New Year, for me, has always been an exciting and happy time! Recently while talking with some friends, I compared New Year to a new page.

The new year always brings opportunity for what seems like a new beginning, a chance to "start over". It always seems crisp, clean and exciting! We all get to start with a "new page" and it's up to us what we want to "write" on it!

Take a few minutes and reflect on last year and your goals, but don't dwell on past year's missed opportunities. We need to look ahead with excitement and anticipation for what we can do with this year's new opportunities (pages) that will be presented.

Whatever you "write" is an opportunity within itself! At beginning of a new year we are all at same point, granted some may be beginning with more than others, but we are all beginning!

As you begin "writing" your business this year, focus on ways to "work smarter and not harder". We unclutter and organize our garages, our houses, our closets, our cabinets, right on down to our drawers! Shouldn't we do same for our minds?

Eliminate (unclutter) situations that are stressful. Focus (organize) on what you did that was positive last year that caused practice to grow and then expand on each of those areas.