I have a tradition of putting together my personal goals for a year somewhere in the range of Thanksgiving and the first week of December. Then I start working on them right away. Here is why:
- It allows me to try out my new habits for about a month.
Most goals should have a daily or weekly change connected with them. Starting my goals in December allows me to try these changes out before I get to the official New Year. Sometimes there are minor changes to the goal that I realize I need to make and I can do that without getting behind. My birthday also happens to be near the end of February, and so it allows me to have another good re-evaluation point 3 months into the process.
- It allows me to build momentum.
Any new habit takes some adjustment. Even if I struggle those first few weeks I still feel like I am making progress when the New Year comes. I can hit the ground on the New Year already worked through a habit in a major holiday (This is especially good for health goals.)
- It lets me catch the momentum of the rest of the world at the official New Years.
Speaking of momentum, even if I have struggled all of December on some goal when New Years comes everyone else is excited about their goals and I can use the energy they have to get me going again.
So I may be strange, but who wants to celebrate with me?
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