ANDRE BEGIN

I completely appreciate the philosophy about how the New Year can feel like the right time for a fresh start, a clean slate and a great time to adopt better habits. But where I live, starting a resolution on January 1 seems rather counterintuitive.

Starting a resolution at a time of year when any day could bring a layer of snow or ice of sufficient magnitude that it can bring a city to a complete standstill for days does not seem like a recipe for success. Thank you, Mother Nature!

In the dead of winter, with our sidewalks frozen over with snow and ice until March (sometimes April) outdoor activities like walking or running become a hazard with the risk of slipping, falling, spraining an ankle or breaking a hip.

Similarly, driving to a gym for indoor fitness goals can be just as treacherous when Old Man Winter turns our city’s arterial network to a sheet of ice.

When it comes to mental health goals, when we are still in the shortest days of the year, it is difficult to work on improving our sunny outlook when we are in darkness for a larger proportion of the day.

For that reason, I gather that the idea of resolutions for the new year probably did not come from someone living in a Nordic country or anyplace where winter lasts 5 to 6 months. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try, but does it have to be January 1?

If we pick another date to reboot our resolutions, like July 1, unfortunately, there are different circumstances to contend with. For example, between Canada Day on July 1st and our American friends’ Independence Day on July 4, gatherings for celebratory outdoor barbecues can lead to getting sidetracked from our healthy resolutions.

Some people may argue that it just takes discipline, but I tend to suggest that it’s hard when dealing with an arbitrarily selected date.

With so many circumstances outside of our control, instead of fitting our lives around a goal and date, why not fit the goal and the date around our lives?

To me, the best day to start a resolution is when I am ready, when motivation is at its strongest and when that motivation comes from within. That could be any day of the year, in any season. It is the day when I feel I am best positioned to implement a plan around my other commitments and obligations.

Also, as someone who prefers to dip his toe in the pool before jumping in, to me, incorporating a new habit is best done gradually, in a phased in approach. Sometimes that means doing something as best as I can once per week, then stepping up to twice per week and so on.

The idea of going from 0 to 60 has not often been a recipe for success for me. Small, steady, incremental changes have worked better. Plus, when life gets in the way, I don’t beat myself up over it, I just make a commitment with myself to try again at the next opportunity. It’s about focusing on my goals, focusing on the small wins along the way and in keeping a positive attitude, knowing that adopting a new habit can take time and practice.

If you are the type of person who has achieved success with resolutions actually implemented on New Year’s Day, congratulations, you are an inspiration to those of us who aren’t quite there.

But if that hasn’t been a recipe for success for you, why not try starting resolutions on the day that is right for you? It is the day that takes into consideration your own mind, body, spirit and circumstances.

Perhaps picking the day where you can soft launch a new habit with the intention of reaching a measurable goal at a future date, might lend itself to the successful outcome you are looking for.

Best of luck!

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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André