Let’s make it clear that new year resolutions are not bad. It’s a good idea to try to change  things in the new year. But there are many reasons why it’s not such a good idea to use the 1st of January as magical starting point. I will explain to you why.

Change isn’t time-bound

Change can happen any moment. It’s not about the moment itself, it’s about the motivation you have. When you’re aiming for the 1st of January as a starting point, it means that during the course of the year there are no good moments for change. The idea to change things, has probably arisen way earlier. To use this idea as a resolution for the new year, it’s actually just procrastination. And everyone knows procrastination is the thief of time! 

Do you  get a idea to change something? Start  as quickly as possible when your intrinsic motivation is  still fresh.

Compensate

Another reason why it is not so good idea to start your resolutions on the 1st of January is because it will become cut and dried. It’s an easy way to give in to your old bad habits for a little longer until the new year has arrived. But actually this will cause the situation where you have to compensate even more when starting your resolution.

(Not)better next year!

When you fail to maintain your resolutions and you slip once, obviously that’s fine. It can happen. But when you use January as starting point, it’s really easy to completely give up and call it a day. Next year when it’s January again, you will just try again. It means that January is an external motivator, while the actual motivation should come from within.

Don’t dream, make goals 

Think about what you want to actually change. Starting a diet, quit smoking or saving money are all things that you can measure. But a lot of people also want to completely change their behaviour under the guise of “A new year, a new me!”. It’s a beautiful dream, but to be able to actually achieve your goals it is important to make them measurable  and realistic . 

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