New Year - New You. Why now?

Why I think your New Year's resolution should wait until February.

I’ve never been one to make New Year resolutions and I’m not really sure why. I think it’s just that I’m a little more spontaneous and like to do things in the moment. So, if I want to make a change I’ll just do it…. If my circumstances allow. These days my circumstances include my wife Christine, two teenagers, one prep schooler, one puppy and my Your Body Works family as well. So my spontaneity is very much moderated by responsibility and routine.

And that’s why, February is the start of the year for me. Holidays are well and truly over, kids are back at school, work is back to normal, and my life has settled into this year’s routine. So now I can hold up my resolutions for the year against my new routine and see if they fit. Resolving to change something in my life requires planning, action, routine and repetition. February is perfect for that.

If I can add my resolution to my weekly routine, surely I can repeat that four times. Once I’ve done that, I’ve reached the mental milestone of successfully completing one whole month of my resolution and there are only 10 more months in the year. Easy, I got this.

The other reason I like to start in February is that Christine likes us as a family to detox from something for a month. Often, it’s something I really like. Chocolate, wine, coffee, grains etc. Waiting until February has its advantages. Starting a new diet on the 1st of January while still on holiday is really hard work. Also, February is the shortest month of the year, so I’ll be back to my evening square of dark chocolate as quickly as possible. And yes, we are detoxing from all those things this month. 

What, you may ask, is my new year's resolution? Like I said at the start, I didn’t make one. It didn’t even cross my mind on New Year’s Eve. However, as I’m writing this, I’m feeling spontaneous. I can see that there are a few things I can change in my weekly routine. Things that might help me get fitter and healthier. Things that I can repeat week in, week out.