At this time of year, many of us become eager for the end of Winter and the return of the light and the warmth of the Spring months. But just as counting down to a holiday or exciting event seems to stretch out the wait even longer, that eagerness can make Winter days and weeks feel like they slow to a standstill.  

In the UK, daylight lengthens by around 2-3 minutes each day at this time of year. This incremental increase occurs almost by stealth until a point comes where suddenly you notice it’s quite a bit lighter when you get up in the morning or are heading home. And with that realisation comes a sense of noticeable progress towards the lighter months and the gentle arrival of Spring.  

Similarly, our own personal growth and development is on a steady trajectory where the changes may seem imperceptibly slow… but they are happening.  

We can be too impatient to master our subject knowledge or to be confident in our skills. We might not always notice the incremental progress we have made in our studies or in our practice until, on reflection, we realise that we have indeed been making steps forward.  

As the old adage goes, patience is a virtue.  

Just as we need to bide our time in awaiting the return of Spring and Summer, we owe ourselves patience to allow ourselves to grow, slowly but steadily. With each assignment, we are developing our academic writing. With each lecture, we gain further expertise in our field. Small changes become significant shifts over time.   

Why not embrace these early weeks of 2025 as a time for quiet and nurturing reflection on your own personal academic journey. Make a list of three areas where you feel you have improved since this time last year. Think about how far you’ve come (rather than how far you still have to go), while we wait patiently for the lighter days to return.