You probably shouldn’t read this if you made any new years resolutions, but if you didn’t, give yourself a pat on the back. I never commit to anything on Jan 1, and for good reason.

Everyone has an idealistic view of their goal – it’s impossible to know in advance what it’ll feel like when you accomplish it – so we just dream about that day when coming up with resolutions. The excitement and anticipation is enough to get you a few weeks into a challenge (sometimes), but we all know those feelings won’t last.

The point when you’ve had enough and won’t take no for an answer is when you know change will truly come. Whether you’re sick of being broke, fat, or skinny, most people will at some point cross a mental threshold that they’re not willing to go past. The likelihood of that day being Jan 1 is roughly 1:365.

There’s nothing special about the new year. If we didn’t have calendars, we wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the exact day Earth completed a revolution anyways.

The only thing different about 1/1 is the habit of doing some introspection to decide on new goals. However speaking only for myself, if I have to actually think to know what problem I’m going to solve, that problem wasn’t big enough in the first place. If you’re broke, you’ll be reminded of it every time you buy a meal or pay the bills. If you’re fat or skinny, you’ll be thinking about it whenever you eat a meal or look in the mirror.

Huge, glaring problems are the only things worth trying to set goals for. If it’s not a massive issue, the chance of you sticking it out is low.

It’s also crazy to delay fixing one of these things that you know is super impactful. Why would I wait until January to fix a big problem that I’m well aware of in November or December? If I’m not willing to fix it when I recognize it to be a massive issue, a new year resolution sure isn’t going to push me over the line.

So that’s why I don’t start challenges or plans on 1/1.

By the way, I do have a 2024 business goal for Reddy, but my cofounder and I discussed it weeks ago and have already been executing on it. I have a fitness goal to lose 20 lbs over the next few months, but I’ve already been tracking my calories on Cronitor (previously MFP) and going to the gym for months.

The message I’m trying to get across isn’t that you should just quit your goal a day after you start, but rather that even if you fail, it’s perfectly fine to start on 1/2, 6/1, or even 12/31.

It doesn’t matter what day it is.

Start your challenge when you’ve said enough is enough and are unwilling to do anything but fix the problem.