Year-end
With only 50 days remaining till we celebrate the festive season, many will be thrown into the turmoil of year-end. I recall from my days in Information Technology how the year-end freeze dates were already announced and everyone was rushing to get the last-minute changes in place.
For most, it is a pressurised time of year when everything seemingly comes ahead and the exhaustion of the past 10 months is already taking its toll. Our capacity for taking on more dwindles and many things get put off until the second week in January.
January gives us an opportunity to reset. Katy Milkman shares key insights in her book How to change.
Not Getting Started
Cause:
When faced with a new change we can be overwhelmed. Changes often don't naturally fit into our existing routines and schedules. There is a high amount of mental and physical friction to get started.
Antidote:
Start with a blank slate. Examples include starting a new job, moving to a new city, meeting a new partner. One approach everyone can use is starting on specific dates. New Years Resolutions and Mondays are good times to start change.
Quote:
We’re more likely to pursue change on dates that feel like new beginnings because these moments help us overcome a common obstacle to goal initiation: the sense that we’ve failed before and will, thus, fail again.
Source: Book Summary by Toby Sinclair
In the busyness of your current reality, do not neglect the habits that are important to you as they will support you through difficult times.