New Year’s Resolutions are B.S.

January 1st, 2021 is a few weeks away and for some reason we as humans think that date is the day that all new things should happen. We should start a diet. We should start going to the gym. We should start eating healthy. We should stop drinking or cut back on alcohol. We should reach out to people more. We should start reading self-help books. We should start going to a therapist or life coach. We should start having more sex or intimacy with our partner. We should look for a new job. January 1st is a “fresh start” to be the “new you” and a time to change all of your habits and actions and thoughts. Ugh…

Any of these “shoulds” or thought process sound familiar?

I would argue that January 1st is no different than today or yesterday or the day after tomorrow. Time is a construct and we add so much pressure on the beginning of a new year. We think it is a magical time to do all things new.

Here’s the thing: New Year’s resolutions are Bull Shit.

How many people actually accomplish them? How many people have a great ambition to join the gym and lose the weight and eat healthier? And then they miss the gym two days in a row and decide they are not cut out for the gym and stop going or eat a dessert on January 12th and decide they can not be a healthy eater because they had a piece of pie? Or don’t lose 10 pounds in the first month they set out to so they decide they are not able to reach their goal and quit? Or didn’t get the first chapter written in the timeline they set so there is no way they will ever get a book published?

I believe that when you have a place you want to go, a goal of a new job, a dream to write a book, a desire to lose weight, a plan to add more movement to your daily life or some habit you want to shift away from, you can start working towards that any day. Any day of the year is the best day to make choices and actions that create the change you want.

So start now. Today is a great day to make a change. Why wait until January 1st? If you want to drink more water, do it today. If you want to walk more, get going now. If you want to eat more vegetables, go make a salad for lunch today. If you want to write the book, get pen to paper when the creative juices are flowing. If you want to fix a strained relationship, pick up the phone.

Start today and by January 1st, you will have a head start on where you want to go!