008: why you shouldn't start your resolutions in january
And when to start them instead...
We’re down to the wire with the holidays. How are you feeling today? Items checked off your list? Overwhelmed but jolly? Grateful and tired? Whatever you’re feeling, I hope your finish line is in sight.
Quick housekeeping: After this post, I’ll be on a break until the new year. I might do one more bonus (not wellness-related…) post… but other than that, I’ll be dark for the next week-ish.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and thanks, as always, for reading!
Somewhere in the midst of all the holiday planning comes the not-so-gentle messaging that we also need to overhaul our life—and specifically our wellness life—come January 1. While I’d like to think the “lose weight” pressure is behind us, in the era of Ozempic and alleged death of body positivity, I actually think we’re feeling this now more than ever.
But there are all kinds of wellness goals we often feel compelled to adopt at the start of every new year—dry/damp January, sleep more, hydrate more, meditate, less screen time—the list goes on.
I’m not against resolutions. I think goal setting can be really helpful when it’s clearly defined and traces back to something that you actually, genuinely care about. In fitness (and elsewhere) we often refer to these as SMART goals. That is, goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. With SMART goal setting, it’s all about the details. You don’t want to “sleep more,” you want to: “Aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep by going to bed at 9:30pm and getting up at 5:30am on at least 5 days per week.” You create an action plan and then make it happen.
But here’s the catch: January is the wrong time to do this.
Fun facts: (you can skip over the next few grafs if you’re not into ancient history….) You may already know that January 1 hasn’t always been the start of the new year. King Numa Pompilius first revised the Roman calendar, Julius Caesar later codified it and made more changes, but it wasn’t until 153 BCE that January 1 officially became the start of the new year. (January, being named for Janus, the god of beginnings, but also transitions. Janus is a two-faced god, unique to the Romans, who looks both forward and backwards.)
These changes get a bit fuzzy once Rome gets sacked. March 25 and December 25 become common days to start the new year after the Christians take over.
Centuries pass. Then, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII decides to revive January 1 (settling an issue with leap years, hence the Gregorian calendar). Catholic countries, like Spain and France, adopt this right away. Other places around the world, including the American colonies, are slower. In fact, America doesn’t start marking the new year in January until 1752—before then it was March 25. If it’s all starting to feel a bit arbitrary to you, that’s because it is.
But let’s go back to the Romans for a minute. There’s some scholarly debate, but it seems likely that before Numa, the new year was in March. Martius/March, named for the Roman god Mars, who is the god of war, but was also closely tied to agriculture and the start and end of the growing season (roughly, March to October).
March also marks the spring equinox and is generally associated with adorable baby animals. Rebirth. Newness. Growth. Light. Can you see where I’m going with this?
Astrologically speaking, March also kicks off Aries—the first sign of the Zodiac, and the one of action, fire, the one ruled by Mars. Aries energy is motivated, optimistic, uncomplicated and direct in its choices.
If you don’t feel inspired to jumpstart your life in the dead of winter, when the world is silent, dark, and cold—you’re not wrong. It feels antithetical in many ways to push yourself toward lofty goals when the vibe is very much one of snuggling up and cocooning until there’s more daylight and warmth.
I’m not the only person to think this (see here and here).
So instead of setting your resolutions in January, and then pushing yourself to accomplish these goals when there’s so little daylight and your motivation undoubtedly wanes—due to no fault of your own—why not wait until March? Why not kick things off right around the time of the spring equinox? (This coming year, it will be March 20, 2026.)
As temperatures warm and our days inch longer, my bet is that you’ll naturally start to feel more motivated to do everything. Plan the get togethers, get to the gym more often, sleep on a better schedule, drink more water, eat more salads, stay outside and breathe fresh air. What if this year, you resisted the urge to “start” your resolutions in a week, and just let the day slide by, pondering instead all the ways an ancient patriarchy continues to influence our society?
Use the first three months of 2026 to rest and reflect. I know this is hard. And I know in our go-go-go culture it sounds ludicrous to suggest you should take a full quarter (a full three months!) to simply process and reflect. But what if you did it anyway?
Recover from the chaos of the holiday season, think through the things you want to do differently (better? smarter? more efficiently?) in the coming year. Get your headspace set. Maybe start a gentle meditation or breathing practice. Nothing too rigid. Journal when you feel like it. Drink hot tea. Sleep in when you can.
As the calendar rolls around to March 1, solidify your goals for the year. Resist the voice that says, “You’re already approaching Q2 and what do you have to show for it!?” Remember: Your resolutions are timed to the spring. The actual time for that fiery, go-get-em renewal energy that will naturally compel you to want to check off every item on your to-do list.
For the first two weeks of March, ease into a schedule. Move up your bedtime, and your wake up time. Write down your goals. Pin them somewhere highly visible. Visualize all the amazing things you’re going to do. Drink lots of water.
And when March 20 rolls around? Hit the ground running.