New Year’s Day. January 1 is arguably the most common time for the whole world to hit the ground running. Building vision boards, setting exercise goals, drafting reading checklists, and enrolling in classes. The pressure to tackle the new year head-on can be intimidating, so what happens when you’re not quite as eager to be a new you when everyone else is so gung ho?
Coming off of three months of back-to-back holidays can be exhausting so, come January 1, expectations to be at the top of your game can leave you burned out before the year has even begun.
I propose another option. Start your new year in a new season: Spring.
Winter is when nature withdraws. Leaves fall off trees, mammals hibernate, cooler weather calls us to stay inside – closer, warmer. Perhaps we should take nature’s hint that any new beginnings during winter might not be for everyone. Why not blossom when nature does, in Spring? I offer this new mindset to ease into the new year rather than being jolted into it.
Many cultures around the world acknowledge the start of the new year toward the end of March. They believe the spring equinox gives rebirth in nature – a time for renewal and new beginnings.
With the two additional months to plan your ideal new year, you may be more likely to stick to your goals. You’ll have more time to plan and put words into action more intentionally. Suddenly, running a 5k doesn’t sound so daunting when you’ve been able to really sit and plan to make it happen. Or reading 100 books doesn’t sound so overwhelming when you’ve had time to curate a list of must-reads instead of just picking a random 100. Nature doesn’t move fast, so why should we? Bask in the comfort of knowing that not everything in life is a rush.
When you feel that all-too-familiar anxiety creeping up about new year goal setting, I encourage you to take a breath. Reflect on how there really is no rush. What you’d like to accomplish in January will probably still be plenty possible come springtime. It’s okay – and maybe more healthy – to welcome the new year at your own pace.
Finally, don’t allow others to influence your timing. Goal setting is not one-size-fits-all. If you feel ready in January to start fresh, that’s great. If it takes you a couple of months and you wait to plan the rest of the year in March and April, that’s also great. Do what feels most natural to you. Your nervous system will thank you for it.