Wait Until the 7th

in Resolutions

You know how it is – you leave an inspiring conference, have a health epiphany, or the calendar turns to January 1st, and a fire lights inside you.  You’re ready and raring to go.  And then… you lose momentum.  Life gets in the way.  Work kicks into overtime.  You fall back into old habits. 

 

And your goal goes… kaput.

AHS_OB13

I’ve been thinking a lot about momentum lately because I’ve had a few bursts of professional ‘fires’ that quickly went out.  I was so excited, but then I lost all my momentum!  Ugh.  It’s a bummer, and it’s also a bit of a confidence-crusher.  And it’s hard to get back on the wagon when you’re let yourself slip so many times in the past.

 

So, the question becomes, how do we maintain momentum while setting New Year’s Resolutions?

 

I’ve written before about how to set and achieve NYR…  Here are my tips, neatly summarized… I highly suggest checking out the full post for all details!

 

  • Don’t:  Go in without a plan.
  • Do:  Be specific
  • Don’t: Base all your success on the scale.
  • Don’t: Set a NYR based on a knee-jerk reaction.
  • Don’t: Make major life changes suddenly.
  • Do: Set smaller goals and milestone rewards.
  • Do: Establish a healthy way to measure progress.
  • Don’t: Set yourself up to fail.
  • Do: Set set yourself up to achieve.
  • Do: Anticipate obstacles.
  • Do: Tell everyone about your NYR.

 

But here’s my #1 suggestion for New Year’s 2012…  Wait until January 7 to kick your resolution into high-gear.

downsized_1114111930

Why?  I think the momentum we feel after January 1 is a bit of a false momentum.  We wake up on the New Year and feel all motivated and excited to tackle our goals… but we’re suffering from holiday hangovers.  We’re out of whack, our schedules are crazy, we’re coming down from sugar highs… Nothing is really normal yet.  But, if we wait until January 7th, when things are settled down, and you have a bit more perspective.  Waiting until the 7th gives you adequate time to really form a plan, anticipate obstacles, and set realistic goals, too. 

 

So… that’s why I’ll be giving myself a week off before tackling my 2012 Resolutions.  I think it will be more helpful in the long run if I let it simmer for a bit.

 

Thought of the Day:

 

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” – Maya Angelou

{ 40 comments }

 

  • kathleen @ the daily crumb December 26, 2011, 7:47 pm

    i completely agree! i always wait until the monday after NYE to get going, when “real life” sets back in.

    i think being specific in your NYR is so important — otherwise you really have no way to measure success or improvement.

  • Laura December 26, 2011, 7:52 pm

    Honestly, I don’t really believe in making New Years’ Resolutions. I think you just need to learn to recognise when changes are necessary at any time and adapt to different situations as they arise.

  • Sam December 26, 2011, 7:57 pm

    I agree with Laura’s comment above. But I think your idea is cool too. But I think a number is a number. Things eventually happen when we are really ready for them to happen. Plus, life changes in an instant.

    I don’t really agree with your last “do” though. I don’t think you need to tell everyone your NYR. Do for yourself and choose for yourself how or if you want to disclose it.

  • Jillian December 26, 2011, 7:57 pm

    Excellent tips! I typically find myself all fired up about my resolutions, and end up slowly fading by May! I will keep these tips in mind for 2012 :).

  • Raewyn December 26, 2011, 7:59 pm

    Excellent idea, Caitlin. I love, love your writing…even when days are horrible, you make a point of focusing on positivy. You are an amazing inspiration writer! Thank you! 🙂

  • Lauren December 26, 2011, 8:02 pm

    Love this perspective.

  • Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) December 26, 2011, 8:24 pm

    I never make resolutions because I know I won’t achieve them…kind of sad. I do make goals though. I love this idea! Thanks Caitlin!

  • Gina December 26, 2011, 8:53 pm

    I love this idea. My birthday is January 5th and since one of my resolutions every year is to eat better after getting slightly off track during the holidays, starting this after my birthday usually works better for me. After all, to me my birthday is still part of they holiday season 😉

  • Brittnie (A Joy Renewed) December 26, 2011, 9:33 pm

    Never thought about new years goals in this way but makes perfect sense! Going to try this for 2012. 🙂

  • Keelie (SweatEqualsSuccess) December 26, 2011, 9:42 pm

    Indeed- you need the clarity that a week of normalcy provides to accurately gauge what you want for yourself and how to realistically achieve it!

  • Melissa December 26, 2011, 9:55 pm

    I’m running a Resolution Run (5k) on Jan. 7th. I thought it was odd that they were having it on that day but now I’m going to love it even more.

  • Pam C December 26, 2011, 9:56 pm

    You said it perfectly, that loss of confidence you feel after not following through. It’s nice to hear you say that you feel that way too. It’s silly to think you’re the only one to feel like you let yourself down. It’s nice to see that reminder tonight, it’s like you added a little spark to that fire!

    Love the January 7th idea. I’ve decided to allow myself to wait and be a January Joiner instead of a “this Monday” joiner because my schedule has been hectic since Thanksgiving. It’s helped me to make slow and steady adjustments to my lifestyle that have boosted my self-esteem instead of frustrating me when progress is slow.

    PS- I would love if you posted a printable pdf of your pregnancy non-plan training plan. It’s the idea I want to follow for my JJ plan!

  • KaraHadley December 26, 2011, 10:29 pm

    This is soooooo great. I’m tempted to start early so that I can get back into my routine before I lose so much ground that I feel miles away. But I just love the idea of going in with a plan.

  • Jes Suazo December 26, 2011, 10:38 pm

    I think setting resolutions is one of my favorite things to do. I love making a plan & writing it out.

    I love your idea of waiting until real life hits again, though! Great idea to make sure your goals are realistic.

  • Khushboo December 26, 2011, 11:45 pm

    Great perspective- sounds a lot more realistic approach to achieving our NY resolutions! Now time to get cracking on setting them!

  • Alex @ Raw Recovery December 27, 2011, 12:02 am

    I think it’s a great idea to start until January 7 to really push forward with NYRs. Instead of a resolution each year, I like to choose a quote/mantra that I incorporate into my life. I choose the quote/mantra based on what change I’d like to see or what I need to remember about myself or the world in order to move forward. Some of my past ones include “Errare humanum est” (“To err is human”, my favorite quote in Latin) and “Be great, feel great, and act great” (admittedly from a Yogi tea bag). I find it works better for me than a traditional resolution.

  • Jen December 27, 2011, 1:28 am

    Love Love Love the quote! So true!

  • Karlee @ BringingBackBalance December 27, 2011, 3:48 am

    I think NYR can be a great kick start for starting a new healthy habit, but it is very important to recognize that healthy habits don’t start over night!

    Another great post!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat December 27, 2011, 4:56 am

    I totally agree with these – especially the being specific one. Sometimes it’s scary to put a number on things, but in my opinion, you need to have something to shoot for in order to know if you’ve made it, right? 🙂

  • Rebecca @ Naturally Healthy and Gorgeous December 27, 2011, 6:47 am

    A good idea! Maybe we should take that first week and reflect on our goals and if they are attainable and how they can be achieved.

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin December 27, 2011, 7:06 am

    I like this idea! On January 1st we’re all still winding down from the holidays (and probably a bit under the weather from the previous night ;)) – so waiting until the 7th is a great idea!

  • CJ @ http://healthy-happy-whole.com December 27, 2011, 8:52 am

    i like your idea of waiting a week! you are so right, sometimes i make all these goals and have the best intentions and then some time later they begin to falter and its as if i never made any goal at all. this year i really want to think about what i want, where i want to be and how i envision happiness to set some resolutions. thank you for reminding me of that 🙂

  • Elisabeth December 27, 2011, 1:00 pm

    I think this is a great idea! I think I need time after all the holiday goings-on to settle/relax & really think about what I need to get out of the New Year. 🙂

  • Amber K December 27, 2011, 1:10 pm

    I actually joined SparkPeople on the 7th. Well, of February. So apparently I needed a week plus a month to figure things out… lol. But I prefer to make slow changes throughout the year if I want to work on something instead of waiting until the New Year.

  • Robin December 27, 2011, 1:21 pm

    Good suggestions! Waiting a week sounds like a great idea. I rarely find time before January 1 to give serious thought to resolutions, then find myself tackling too many at once. Maybe this year will be different!

  • Lexi @ A Spoonful of Sunshine December 27, 2011, 2:20 pm

    Love that Maya Angelou quote! Have you read, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings”?

  • laura December 27, 2011, 2:35 pm

    I love the January 7th plan – I’ve been joking that I’m taking two weeks to indulge so my New Year’s Resolutions will show a real transition, but the truth is that I’m more motivated by consistency instead of hard “start” and “stop” dates! My NYR’s are basically just to maintain or to re-visit some of the goals I’ve made for myself over the past couple of years!

  • amanda December 28, 2011, 10:39 am

    I love your idea about starting the New Year’s Resolution 7 days after! Sometimes it’s just too much pressure starting on the 1st and so self-defeating to mess up. Great idea!

  • Katy @ HaveYouHurd December 29, 2011, 9:54 am

    This is such a great idea! You shouldn’t start out the “new year” being discourage because you’re hungover and tired and don’t feel like starting your NYR’s ASAP! I always try to make goals that will push me without stressing me out or discouraging me. Be realistic and be PROUD of what you accomplish. If you do your workout for the day don’t say “oh well it’s really not that big of a deal..I was supposed to do it anyway” – BE PROUD! Instead of sitting on your butt doing nothing you got out there and did something…and that is AWESOME!

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) December 29, 2011, 7:47 pm

    Great idea to wait until the 7th. I am off of work until the 6th, so it sounds like a good idea to me to relax and enjoy my break before kicking myself into high gear.

  • Glenneth January 2, 2012, 3:16 pm

    Great tips! Thanks and Happy New Year!

  • Mel January 2, 2012, 4:34 pm

    I’m glad I read this today. I’ve been traveling this past week and have felt entirely out of sorts, not to mention have not set my 2012 goals yet. This post was the inspiration I needed to hear. It’s never too late!

Previous post:

Next post:

Healthy Tipping Point