Time for change?
If you’re reading this in January, then probably not.
New year, new me…etc. Wait…stop, come back, I’m only kidding.
Why do we fall for it every year? January is the absolute worst time to change anything. The only people who would think that starting a massive new fitness regime in the (literal) middle of winter is a good idea are people who own a gym.
The only people who think starting a diet in January is a good idea would be……Actually, I can’t think of any good reason to start a diet in January.
Or anything else, for that matter. The best time to change anything is
The
Right
Time
To
Suit
You.
And that will be different for all of us. My husband made two significant changes to his life last year. Both made a massive difference to his well-being, and both came about as a result of conversations we’d been having for a while. One was in March, and the other in October.
The trouble is that by the end of December, we all feel fat, hungover and guilty. Even if you don’t eat, drink or overindulge too much at Christmas, the whole narrative around it and the time devoted to it in every media type is so overwhelming that we find ourselves well and truly hooked on the idea that we must take action.
So, many of us promise to change, join a gym, join a slimming club, and eat unhealthy, over-processed, so-called healthy options in tiny portions, which leave us hungry and prone to snacking. We do dry January, Veganuary, and sackcloth-and-ashanuary. We might even go to the gym several times in our newly bought lee-zure wear, which is so bright that it resembles a pile-up between four lorries carrying blancmange.
And then, come February, we drift back to the old habits which turn out to be not that bad in comparison.
In my head, the best time for change (if such a thing exists) would be March. Springtime feels so much better. The sun reappears, the clocks go forward, new life sprouts around us, and we suddenly have more time and energy for everything.
Summer is even better. It’s an awful lot easier to swap brain-numbing, formulaic TV for exercise or conversation when the daylight lasts till 10pm, and you can be outside for longer.
So, by all means, use the misery of January to start planning your changes. Look at the habits you want to change and the ones you’d like to replace them with. Make a plan of how you can do that and maybe dip a toe in the water of more reading or exercise at the weekend.
But don’t feel the need to be a ‘new you’ by February because even if you stick at it, you won’t see the benefits in that time anyway, and February is even more depressing than January.
My suggestion is to hunker down with a pen and paper and ask yourself a load of questions about how you feel. Think about the answers and let the plan form slowly. Don’t try and change too much (and certainly don’t force it). One thing at a time is fine.
And don’t forget to enjoy it – all of it. And keep a diary. And make your first new habit to write in the diary every day. That way, you’ll have a record of your progress, which will drive your change.
And I’ll see you down the pub on Friday…