Don’t Wait Until January 1st to Start Your Resolutions- Here’s Why…
January 1st is an alluring date. The promise of a fresh year, a clean slate and a book yet to be written. It’s the official day to start resolutions for many people. There is a freshness in the air that this year will be completely different than the last one. It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in the fresh start and begin to make huge promises for the year ahead. However studies show that most people break their resolutions by January 21st.
The truth is that January 1st is a lie. Not in the fact that it doesn’t exist. The mindset is a lie though. When we really want something, today is the best day to start. Whether that is learning something new, changing a behavior, or breaking out of our comfort zone.
In addition, waiting until the specific date of January 1st can actually lead to problems with our resolutions. The following are four reasons why it’s often better to start with at least a little advanced notice.
Waiting makes excuses more likely.
When something grabs our souls and becomes our passion, there is an instant need to start it right now. It doesn’t matter how many little steps must be made or how many little goals must be kept in order to accomplish this passion or make it successful.
A lot of times January 1st is used as a way to procrastinate starting the process. If the resolution is not important enough to start until January 1st, what makes it super important come January 1st? What is the safeguard that blocks us from deciding that another date might be better, say April 1st or July 1st? If it’s something that needs to be done, start it today. You’ll be glad that you did.
Starting now gives a head start
Thinking of doing a project you’ve never done before? What about giving it a trial run in December before you commit to it fully in January?
Depending on the project, you can also start preparing for it now. Last year I attempted to do a year of less where I bought almost nothing. That lasted until I bought my computer in March, which was a $700 investment. However, stocking up on things like makeup, toiletries, and the like kept me on a path to using up the things before I had to buy new ones. That bought me some time which did save some money.
Either way, getting a head start can be crucial to your success. It is a way to easily tell if the project is right for you, and provides more information before your official start date, giving more time to prepare.
It gives more time to practice.
For year long commitments or projects, starting early gives more time to do things. For example, with my Happiness Project, starting now allows me time to do things like read more about happiness and put a few extra categories or challenges into the schedule.
Overall, starting now gives more time to learn about things associated with the resolution. It also provides more room to play around with the concept and to grow from the resolution or project.
It can give you more joy to start now
Let’s say that your word for the year is love. How will you show love during the holidays before the year gets underway? We’re not promised tomorrow. This time next year everything could be different.
Last year a dear friend of the family passed away less than two weeks before Christmas. She was the embodiment of the Christmas spirit so that killed a lot of the season for the rest of us. Not being selfish, just saying that I’m glad that I chose to show love the Christmas season before starting my year of love.
Starting work on your resolution can spark more joy in the last month of the year. Finally, sometimes we even choose to start the month ahead because by the next December, we are already planning on the year ahead and those goals.
I love the idea of a fresh page just as much as anyone else. Celebrating New Year’s Day is a wonderful feeling, it is the new decade, after all. It allows us to celebrate the year/decade before while anticipating everything we might face in the year ahead.
However, resolutions and working on resolutions do not have to wait until that self appointed date. Starting today can be just as powerful as starting in 29 days.
