Have you ever actually stuck to your New Year’s Resolutions? 

Yah, me neither. 

Resolutions had always been this thing that I wrote down and forgot about immediately. Most people can last until February, but even that’s a long shot. 

But I’ve got a strategy for you that will help make your New Year’s Resolutions succeed. It is one simple step, but it makes a world of a difference.

Here it is: 

Keep your New Year’s Resolutions by starting them in February, not January. 

Well, there’s the secret, just like that! If all you’re interested in is that tip, then you’ve already got it and there’s nothing more I can give you.

But chances are you want to know why.

And I can tell you, I’ve got a lot of reasons!

The rest of this post is all about why you should save your New Year’s Resolutions for February. I’ve also got a schedule that you can use to make sure that you are prepared for that date well ahead of time.

Interested? Then read on, my friend, read on! 

Why you should start your New Year’s Resolutions in February

You know the drill. Christmas is crazy busy, and when that’s over everyone scrambles to make a plan for New Year’s parties. Your New Year’s Resolutions end up being some sort of last-minute idea you came up with so that you had something to share with friends that night, but you’ll barely remember it in the morning. You stay up until midnight that night, so on January 1, you already start the year overtired and a tad bloated from all the food you ate the night before. Because of this, you start already feeling like you can’t meet your goal for the day.

It’s a truly horrible way to start any sort of resolution.

Let’s look at a few reasons why this scenario could be better if it was done in February. 

You can enjoy Christmas and New Years without feeling guilty

Like I said before, December is already a packed month.

Not only that, but it is usually a time where we break a lot of our health rules. We change our sleep schedules, we eat more junk food, we leave the exercising for someone else.

Adding a productivity goal to all of that just seems so counterintuitive.

You need to be allowed to enjoy the holidays as just that- a holiday! A break from the routine and from the goal-setting. By rescheduling your resolutions to a later date, you are giving yourself permission to simply enjoy the simple pleasures of the season, regardless of your daily accomplishments. 

You have all of January to come up with a plan

New Year’s Eve will inevitably get you to reflect on your year and think about the year ahead, but it is hardly the time to plan for success. In order to make your New Year’s Resolutions succeed, you will need more time to establish your goals and make a plan.

Instead of doing it all in one night, think of New Year’s Eve as your brainstorming session. Throughout January, you will have the time you need to make a solid plan from your brainstorming ideas. 

For most people, January and February are slower months than December, allowing more time for your personal goals

December is such a flurry of a month, and it is not realistic to think that you will have time to sit and reflect on your life during this time. January is quite a bit slower, and you will have more time to give your life and your goals the proper attention. February is also relatively slow, which makes it the perfect time to start attacking those goals head-on! 

You might get ideas from what people do in January with their resolutions

There’s a chance that a friend is working on a resolution you would like to do but hadn’t thought of. January is a good opportunity to learn from the trial and error of others. And in February, when things start going back to normal and people lose steam on their resolutions, you will just be getting started. You will not be allowed to lean on the energy of other people which will benefit you in the long run. 

It’s Chinese New Year in February! 

Chinese New Year starts February 12 this year, but it always takes place somewhere in that month. If you feel that your New Year’s resolution must take place on a New Year, then you’re in luck- February 12 is a New Year for the Chinese calendar! Plus, this way you get to celebrate twice. It’s a win-win! 

Convinced yet? 

If you want to try this strategy out for yourself, I’ve got a great game plan below that can help you keep your planning on track. 

Your January Resolution-Planning Schedule

New Year’s Eve

On this night, you can brainstorm with friends and family. Get ideas on what you might like to set as a goal this year, but don’t feel like you have to stick to it. 

January, Week 1

This week is a week for recovery and reflection. Start to get back to your regular routine and do what you can to get your body feeling rested and rejuvenated. While you are doing this, take some time every day to think about your year.

Think about the things you liked and didn’t like as well as the things you wish went differently. Then start thinking about goals you want to set for yourself this year.

By the end of this week, you should have a few ideas written down, but you don’t need to decide on anything concrete yet. 

January, Week 2

This week is for you to continue a regular home routine and to decide on which resolutions you want to commit to. In order to make your New Year’s Resolutions succeed, the tasks you choose will need to be measurable and manageable.

You should not commit to more than three goals at a time. If you really want to succeed, choose only one resolution to commit to at a time. 

January, Week 3

Now that you know what you want, it’s finally time to start the planning process.

By now, you should feel like you’re back in the swing of things, so you should have a pretty realistic view of what you can accomplish in a day. Use what you know to make a plan that you think will help you keep your New Year’s Resolutions. You want to make sure that you can keep a healthy balance of work and home activities.

Consider what you will do if you slip up, too. Planning to have patience for errors is just as important as planning for success. 

January, Week 4

During this final week, you simply need to get any materials you might need to start your resolution. This could include getting a membership to a gym, setting up a support group, removing junk food from your kitchen, or anything else that might help aid your success.

This plan should help you to feel more prepared and inspired for your New Year’s Resolutions. Saving your goal-setting for the month of January, you will be more than ready to tackle your goals in February! Try it out yourself to see what you think! 

A Final Word

I want to point out that, though I am always a fan of reflection and goal-setting, I do not think that New Year’s Resolutions should be the only time that you do so. New Year’s is a great reminder to be intentional about what you do in life, but it is not the only time you should do so.

Personally, I like to weave reflection into every week, but that is based on a bigger goal that I set at the beginning of the year. However you choose to set your resolutions, make sure to reflect on your life so that you can move forward and live your life with intention and purpose! 

If you want more information about goal-setting, check out some of these other posts:

• How to do a Brain Dump to Start Your Week Right
• Morning Pages for a Better Day
• How to Stop Feeling Stuck and Transform Life
• How to Find Work-Life Balance When You’re Too Busy

What about you? 

Do you love to be a goal-setter, or do you dread times of reflection and change? What do you do to help keep your New Year’s Resolutions? Write about it in the comments section- I’d love to hear from you!