Realistic Winter Arcs: Setting Intentional Goals to Become the Best Version of Yourself

Seasonal depression is all too real and all too common. It is supposedly linked to your body’s circadian rhythm being out of whack from decreased sunlight, which impacts serotonin and melatonin levels. It’s no wonder we all feel tired and unmotivated during the ‘ber months: our hormones are chemically imbalanced.

How can we fight that? Embrace the season.

In nature, autumn and winter are synonymous with change and growth. Aligning ourselves with this season of transformation is incredibly beneficial to staying out of the inevitable funk that the dark, cold days bring. In different ways, we all will feel the effects of this season; I personally feel a strong urge to hibernate 24/7, which doesn’t really work with my heavy schedule and coursework. But, there are ways to both acknowledge the feelings and behaviors we are feeling called to during this time while counteractively taking steps towards a stronger, healthier mindset. 

While “New Year’s resolutions” go back thousands of years to the Babylonian and Roman times, the concept really resonates with this idea of enacting change in a season of slow stupor. Think about it; doesn’t the phrase, “new year, new me,” sound like an attempt to revitalize oneself? 

Here’s the problem with New Year’s resolutions, though: when are they ever realistic?

It’s clear that most people recognize a need to make a change in themselves and utilize New Year’s as an opportunity to see that change in action. However, rarely does it come to fruition. I see a couple of reasons for this: the pressure of simply having a resolution, a lack of accountability or clear structure, and having no why behind the goal… There are so many reasons that these ultra-ambitious goals fail.

This often leaves people even more pessimistic– seasonal depression and unfulfilled goals? Damn.

But don’t fear; I’ve found success in other avenues that are less gruelling and lead to visible results. 

In the past few years, social media influencers created the concept of a “winter arc.” Basically, instead of waiting for the new year to start working on yourself, you get ahead of the curve by building momentum during the fall and winter months (be a better you and combat seasonal depression… pretty great if you ask me).

Allow me to walk you through what this looks like in practice.

Set goals that have actionable steps. To run a marathon, you have to build up to a marathon— the same thing goes for any and all other goals you have. My example: I want to become a morning person (which is quite the goal, I know). I’ve been waking up earlier each week by setting my alarm just 5-10 minutes ahead of where it was before. I’m regulating my body to this new wake-up schedule and not throwing myself into it headfirst.

Find accountability. There are different ways to do this, but finding accountability ultimately increases your commitment to staying consistent (prevents you from flaking on yourself). Routine is key. My example: in my quest to become a morning person, I’ve taken on one of my close friends as an “accountability buddy.” If I don’t show up to breakfast at 8:00 a.m., then I wasn’t respectful of their time. This external factor has been helpful in keeping me in check.

Make it personal to you. You’ll see lots of inspiration and information online about other people’s goals and proposed arcs… but you should really customize it to yourself. Only you know what you need to focus on: physicality, spirituality, mentality, creativity, or otherwise. My example: I know how crucial my creativity is to my mental health, so I’ve been focusing on that a lot this winter. Dedicating time to my favorite hobbies– arts and crafts, reading, and consuming and making long-form content– has been important for me, but it may be different for you!

Keep it realistic. Be honest with yourself. Keeping your goals reasonable makes them easier (if not just possible) to maintain. My example: I’d love to work out 4x a week, read 50 pages of my personal books a day, and meditate before bed. But that’s a lot on top of everything I already have going on. So I take it day by day, prioritizing those things in maintainable ways. I track my steps, targeting 20k steps per day. I’ve been trying to keep whatever book I’m reading in my bag so that whenever I have free time, I can open it up instead of scrolling on my phone. And I meditate when I can, but know that sometimes I just need to hit the hay. I’m still working towards these goals, just more realistically for where I’m at right now. 

And finally, be kind to yourself. You’re not perfect; you know that. And I say that in the kindest way possible! We have our off days, but we can come back from them. Don’t let your mood stray you from your plan. My example: There was a week or so right before fall break where I didn’t go to breakfast with my accountability buddy. I admitted it! But that doesn’t make me a fraud for writing this piece. It makes me honest. It makes me human. Your girl was just so tired that she chose sleep over breakfast, but we bounced back and have returned to our regularly scheduled programming. 

Refocus yourself.

Revitalize yourself. 

Renew yourself.

Do it for you. 

Don’t let the season take advantage of you— take advantage of the season.

• Accountability
• college
• goals
• mental health
• wellness
• winter