Goals are great—but waiting until January to start them might not be the best idea. 
When it comes to setting goals you want to crush, whether it’s working out more, eating healthier, or getting more sleep, the new year always feels like the perfect opportunity to set a resolution and finally make it happen.
But January 1 isn’t necessarily the fresh-start that we’ve built it up to be. When you make a decision to pursue a goal and take action based on a date rather than on your readiness, you may be setting yourself up for failure. And while there are countless studies about goal-setting, none suggest that waiting until January 1 is actually beneficial.
Research found that in 2018, only 9.2 percent of people felt that they were successful in achieving their resolution. Even more disappointing? The 42.2 percent of people say they fail in achieving their resolution every single year.
Many people wait until the new year to set goals because a new calendar year implies starting over with a clean slate. People look at the new year as a chance at a whole new life, and it is – but why can’t your new life start right now? Why not chase your goals starting this very second? Why wait?
There are plenty of reasons why setting goals today is actually more beneficial than waiting until the new year to do so. Check out four reasons why below.
There’s less pressure.
When the new year rolls around and people start making the resolution to live life to the fullest, lose fifty pounds, get a new job, or travel the world, they put a lot of pressure on themselves. If you simply commit to living better each day and avoid using a holiday as a starting point, you can eliminate that added pressure. Make goal-setting and living a life you’re proud of a daily habit rather than a holiday trend.
It helps you set goals that actually matter to you.
When we reach the new year, we tend to hit the ground running. This rush of decisions often brings about rather ambitious goals. These ambitious goals can feel overwhelming and bring a lot of unwanted stress in the process.
By starting now, you can use this extra time to really think about what you want to accomplish and set the goals that matter to you. This way you can get a jumpstart on the New Year and develop good habits on your own terms. Check out our blog post on habits here!
You’re likely to set more realistic goals.
If you have more time to think about what you really want to achieve rather than a resolution that sounds impressive, you will set more realistic goals for yourself. You will have a higher chance of sticking to your goals if you set them on your own terms. When you treat each day as a gift and a chance for a new beginning instead of waiting for that magical first day of the year, you will have more control over your life. You create your future every single day, and you don’t have to wait until January 1 to start.
You can prove to yourself that you’re stronger than you think.
Why wait to change your life? You can set goals and chase dreams every day when you get out of bed; you don’t need a calendar to tell you when you can do so. When you set a future date to start something, you invalidate the present moment. Right now, is as good a time as any to start something new, and you are more than capable of transforming your life today!
Join us in setting goals for the remainder of the year by visiting this post on Instagram or swinging by the studio to write them on our community board. We can’t wait to watch you end this year strong!