New Year’s Resolutions can only work if started in February

Christmas is over and now the only thing that we can look forward to is the new year. With the new year brings New Year’s Resolutions. Many people set these goals but very few actually keep to them for more than a week into the new year.

Some of the favourite resolutions are to quit smoking, loose weight, exercise more, save money and help more people. These are meant well when they are conceived after a hectic Christmas season. I do however think that these resolutions are made a little to hastily.

This year I am trying something different. My New Year’s Resolution will start on the first of February and not the first of January. You might think I am crazy but hear me out, it does make sense. Here is why:

• New Year’s Resolutions are always conceived through guilt. Guilt that comes hammering down on you around the Christmas season. Usually this is caused by the over indulging that traditionally comes with Christmas festivities. Too much drinking, too much eating, too much partying are all things that naturally take place over the Christmas season. By starting your resolutions in February that guilt has been forgotten. This means that any resolutions you make will be necessary to you and not made out of guilt.
• Use January to analyse your life and come up with a plan. See what it is you are lacking and then formulate a plan around it. To make full use of January you need to analyse your life, come up with what will make it better, plan what you need to do to make it better and then finally prepare so that you can start in full swing on the first of February.
• January is also a busy time for most people. You have recently come off a two week break and now have to catch up with the work load. This always means that you New Year’s Resolution gets shifted aside because you are too busy. By starting in February it allows you to concentrate more on you resolution because the busy time and catch-up work is up to date, allowing you to pursue your personal goals.
• February is also the shortest month of the year. This gives you a realistic measuring tool. By setting your goal to just the first 28 days makes it sound not too bad and achievable. Think of February as your trial month.
• If your resolution survives February then it will last all year. Subconsciously you will realise that after February you are already two months into the year. That’s a sixth of the way there. When you get to March you will soon figure out that its just one month till the first quarter of the year is done. If you have survived this long with a New Year’s Resolution then you might as well make it the whole year.

Why don’t you try it out with me and lets see if we can actually make our goals for 2011.

Lets us know what your resolutions are going to be this coming year in the comments section.