Sometimes it feels like we’re all waiting for the “perfect moment” to get our lives together. We tell ourselves we’ll start fresh next month, or once the semester slows down, or when the new year hits. The truth is, there’s never a perfect moment, and waiting usually keeps us stuck exactly where we are.
As a society, we’ve created the idea that if we want to start new habits, we need to wait for the new year. You know, the whole “new year, new me” mindset, but if you want to change your habits or chase a goal, start now. There’s no time like the present!
In my opinion, when you wait to start a goal until everyone else is doing it, it can lose its meaning and feel more like following the crowd than following your own intentions. When that trend fades, your habit usually fades with it. It’s the same pattern we see every January when the gym is packed for two weeks and then slowly empties again.
That cycle is exactly why starting early and starting small can make such a difference. When the new year hits, we pile our plates high with a long list of resolutions. In my situation, it’s usually because at 3 a.m. I’ve decided I’m going to get my entire life together by adding a bunch of new routines to an already crowded schedule.
It feels inspiring at first, but most of the time, those habits don’t last because I’ve added too much at once, get overwhelmed, and slip back into the routines that feel safe and familiar. Starting before the new year with just one or two habits removes that initial pressure and gives you room to ease in, making it much easier to build from there.
Discipline in New Habits
When you give yourself that head start, you’re also allowing discipline to form more naturally. Most habits take more than two weeks to feel like part of your life, which is why starting now means you’ll be entering January already used to the rhythm of something new. Trust me, I understand how difficult it is to make habits stick.
I’m practically the first-place champion of starting a routine, keeping it for two weeks, and then forgetting it existed altogether. Every time I try to add something new, it feels like stepping into a fantastical quest; there are obstacles to push through and challenges to face.
That quest-like feeling is exactly why discipline matters so much. To break the cycle of slipping back into an average routine, you must show up even when you don’t want to, even when it’s raining, and even when motivation isn’t there. Consistency eventually turns a habit into an automatic response.
Why walk into the new year still trying to force yourself to start from scratch, when you can enter it already thriving in something better? Starting the new year off by feeling proud of the work you’ve already put in is the way to go!
Starting Now Rather Than Never
When you think about it, the best reason behind starting now rather than waiting is that the time truly is now. We never know how much time we have, so if you’re ready for a change, why postpone it? As dramatic as it might sound, none of us knows how long we’re here, and I don’t want my life to be defined by all the things I didn’t let myself try.
That’s why I want to chase the big bucket-list moments like sky diving and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, but also the more minor, everyday things. I want to work out consistently. I want a skincare routine that finally clears my face. The good thing is, none of that requires a new calendar year to begin.
The truth is that the new year only feels like the “right” time to start because we’ve been taught to treat it that way. Once January passes, people tend to think they missed their chance. They say things like, “Well, I tried. Maybe next year.”
Starting before the new year breaks that mindset completely. It reminds you that you don’t need a trend or a fresh date to begin something good — you just need willingness. When you start because you’re ready and because it fits your life, you’re choosing growth for yourself, not for the sake of tradition or timing.
Your growth doesn’t need fireworks or a countdown; it just requires you to decide you’re ready. Start now, start small, and start for yourself. The new year will meet you already moving forward!
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