If social media feeds are to be believed, the beginning of a new year is all about fresh starts. We used to make New Year’s resolutions, but now it seems that even in our personal lives we use the language of business and talk of goals, achievements and targets. But whatever terminology we use, according to research by Forbes Health, around two thirds of these resolutions will have been abandoned by the end of April.
On the side of personal improvement, there are all sorts of popular trends and movements such as the Dry January challenge and Veganuary, that encourage us to rethink our consumption habits after the excesses of the holidays. The fact that these are publicly announced and popular adds a dimension of visibility and perhaps of accountability that can help us stick to our new habits. But, really, when there are still half-bottles of this and that in the cupboards, the tail ends of selection boxes lying around and speciality cheeses in the fridge to tempt us, along with the short sell-by bargains snapped up in the Boxing Day sales, it’s hard to even think about starting afresh until mid-month at the earliest.
Then, of course, the weather is hardly conducive: the days are still short and, wet or cold, there’s not much joy to be found in the UK winter. We’re hardly going to look our best all bundled up in woollies or waterproofs, so there’s little incentive to cut down on the calories or focus on fitness. Self-indulgence is easier than disciplined self-care, and comfort food binges and couch-outs are more appealing than brisk walks and gym visits.
Perhaps January isn’t the best time to start a new regime after all.
Indeed, apart from tradition, there’s really no reason why we should start afresh at the new year. And there’s not really any reason we should celebrate the start of the year on January 1st, either. The UK adopted the modern Gregorian calendar in 1752, around 170 years after most other European countries, so we were out of sync with our neighbours for almost two centuries. In countries that still use the Julian calendar, Christmas Day falls on what we think of as January 7th. Spain uses the Gregorian calendar, but there the Magi bring the Christmas gifts on January 6th (Epiphany). Even in the UK, there are other festive events during January: while for most of us New Year is the last big fling of the holiday season, the Scottish celebrate Burns Night on January 25th.
And then there are other new years, too: the UK tax year begins on April 6th; the Chinese celebrate the lunar new year in late January or early February; the academic year starts in the autumn… It's only our culture that says the night between December 31st and January 1st is the moment to make a change.
So if you find yourself worrying that your resolutions are already fraying half-way through January, take comfort in the fact that so many of the dates we single out are culture-dependent anyway. The best time to start new habits is when it works for you, not some arbitrary date selected by the press, the government, or social media gurus. What’s more, it takes time for a new habit to gel and a single instance of failure doesn’t necessarily negate the progress made to date, so a relapse shouldn’t be cause for self-flagellation or despair.
Remember, too, that whether you’re hoping for personal or business improvement, the habits you focus on should be appropriate, not simply signing up to a popular trend. Each of us is an individual; an appropriate diet and fitness regime will reflect that fact. And every business is unique, too, so the goals and targets you choose should also reflect that individuality, not be a knee-jerk reaction to what some online “influencer” thinks is trendy.
Finally, we can only start from the point where we are now: it's not realistic to aim to run a marathon if you’ve never run at all. You need to choose the stages that will work for you. You won’t reach ten million turnover in 90 days if you’ve not yet got a product ready to sell. Doubling your turnover sounds like a positive goal, but it could actually lower your profits or have other detrimental effects on your business: you need to be clear of the big picture.
Don’t just jump on the high-visibility goals band-wagon along with everyone else. Talk to the people who know you and who know about your business and then choose the moment that suits you to prioritise realistic improvements that matter in your current situation.
If you are thinking about setting new goals and targets for your business, it might be a good time to check whether your brand communications are fit-for-purpose. Check out our Brand Reboot offering to see how we can help you set the stage to move forward more effectively.