A lot of people set their New Year’s resolutions by January 1st. This practice is borne out of tradition, but when you think about it, it makes much better sense to start the new year in March which is a time for regrowth and renewal. Spring is when new ideas and goals spring forth!  No better time than now. Now is always a good time for change. 

Today is the first day of Spring!

Spring is a Time for Renewal

The Spring Equinox is in March, and it is when the Earth’s equator passes through the center of the Sun. Day and night are balanced equally in time, and this is the perfect time to think about life balance.

One glance around you will tell you why it’s the perfect time to reassess your goals and refresh your mindset. Plants start to grow back, animals come out of hibernation, people come alive and out inside of hiding inside their homes from the cold and the warm weather is starting to hold. These all seem like the perfect backdrop for new beginnings, including your new year’s resolutions, the La Lee Lifestyle says.

Why Now is the Best Time to Renew

Although you may have resolved to do things differently in January, it’s always a good time to revisit your goals. There are a lot of reasons we don’t succeed at our goals, but without dwelling on those, I propose we move forward and begin anew. 

It’s not ideal to start anything right after the holidays. You probably need time to get used to getting back to work. Spent a lot of time out of the city with your loved ones? You’ll probably use the first month of the year to settle back into your routine after weeks of vacation time. Starting your resolutions by March means you’ve had time to put your affairs in order and get your groove back at work. With fewer worries on your mind, you’ll be able to focus more on making your resolutions last.

When it comes to keeping your resolutions, a lot of it may be a hit and miss. If the first two months show you mostly misses, then March gives you the perfect time to reassess your resolutions. You may want to adjust your goals to make sure they’re achievable and attainable. That or you could replace them with new ones, Shape suggests.

Pressing the Restart Button

If you still aren’t seeing any changes, here are top tips and advice to help you get better at making your vows stick.

  • Resolve past issues. One way to improve your chances of keeping your resolutions is to carefully assess them. Are they realistic? If your new year’s resolution is to start living light emotionally, but find it much harder and tougher to put that promise into practice, consider talking to an Allen-based therapist for help. By discussing your situation with a professional, you’re a few steps closer to dealing with your issues and putting them to rest. Once you finally succeed, you’ll be able to make your vows stick as well.
  • Know why. If you don’t know why you can’t make your resolution stick, figure out why. For instance, if you want to start losing weight but can’t seem to give up on sweets or stop binge-eating, find out what’s causing that behavior. Do you binge-eat because you’re stressed at work or school? Talking to an Allen family counselor might help. Seeking out a therapist won’t put a stop to the stressful situations you face. But it will help you learn better coping skills and techniques so you won’t end up eating way too much because you’re stressed.
  • Change your mindset. Promises alone aren’t going to cut it. If you want to change your bad habits—maybe, you shop too much or have a pile of credit card debt—change your mindset too. That’s going to help you keep to your resolutions.
  • Stay Positive. Transformation can be overwhelming and as a result, you can end up in a plateau. Take time for yourself, journal about what’s important, and set new intentions.