Starting Points
365 alternative options for the “New Year” reset
How many of your biggest wins or accomplishments got their start on January 1st of any given year?
Chances are not many. And it's unlikely you could identify the exact date you took that first step anyway.
We wait for January 1st to make resolutions for the year.
The first day of any given month to set goals for the next 30 or so ahead.
Sunday or Monday (depending on what day you consider the "start" of your week) to plan the next seven.1
Our morning to determine the flow of the day.
These can be helpful constructs, reminders to take stock, reassess, and start fresh. But when our plans don't go exactly to plan, when we're not able to get the fresh start we assumed we would, we instead often use these points in time to mark our "failures." But what did we fail at exactly? Is it that we failed to do what we intended, or did we fail to start when we said we would?
And then what?
At best, we push things off until the next appropriate starting point: I'll try again next year.
At worst, we give up entirely. We believe and accept the premise that we "can't" not because we've proven our own ineptitude, not because after consistent and sustained effort, we've come up short, but rather because we (maybe) tried something new on a specific day, at a particular hour and magic didn't happen.
We're one week into the new year, and the frustration has probably set in. What you may have claimed so hopefully a week ago to be "my year!" is now likely looking irritatingly like the one that came before.
So this is my reminder (to me as much as to you) that just because you didn't get the start you wanted this year doesn't mean all hope is lost or that you must wait until next January 1st to try again.
Look back to look forward
Why do we make such a fuss around this time of year? What's so special about January 1st? Are we getting ourselves all worked up for nothing? Isn't it just some arbitrary date?
Not entirely.
It was Julius Caesar who, when updating the calendar back in 46 B.C., decided to mark January and, therefore, January 1st as the official start of the new year.2
But the selection of this date was not so random. Caesar chose January because of the two-faced god its name is derived from — Janus, the god of new beginnings.
Here's where I can get behind Caesar's thinking and the symbolism of the date. Janus has one face looking back to the past and the other looking ahead to the future. A reminder that any of our starting points was previously an end point. And that before we set off for the next part of our journey, we should take a moment to reflect on what came before so we can bring the lessons of the past along with us.
A year's worth of starting points
Where I struggle with this two-millennia-old tradition is not in what it represents but more in what we here in modern times have made it mean: that one day of the year, we put all our chips down on the table and let it ride.
I don't believe January 1st has to be the day we use to reflect back on what was and then plan a new start. Nor does it need to be the only day of the year we go through the exercise.
You can find a reason to reflect, celebrate, and start anew on any of the 366 days in 2024. Give yourself a new start on:
Your birthday. Mark the start of your own personal trip around the sun by setting your intentions for this next year of life.
Your half birthday. This is a great reminder to check in on the intentions and goals you set six months before and adjust as needed.
Groundhogs Day. Let January unfold as it will, and use this unique holiday celebrating a rodent assessing what's ahead (weather-wise) to assess your own landscape and plan accordingly.
The summer solstice. This longest day of the year typically marks a time of energy in us and the world around us. Where do you want to focus yours?
The winter solstice. The start of winter and a time of cozy retreat. Do you need to plan for time to rest and recharge?
Don't stop there. Set markers throughout the year to check in and, if necessary, hit reset.
You can find over 400 fun holidays on blankcalendarpages.com if you need inspiration. Here are twelve I now have marked in my calendar:
January 17th: Ditch New Year's Resolution Day. Now that you've made it more than two weeks into this new year, you might have more clarity on what it has in store. Whether you made a New Year's resolution on January 1st or not, today's a great day to reconsider what you resolve to do (or not do) and, if necessary, begin anew.
February 12th: Clean Out Your Computer Day. I can't be the only one with an overfull desktop, hard drive, Google Drive, email, etc….. Before starting something new, why not take time to clean out the remnants of past work so you can truly start fresh?3
March 16th: Everything You Do is Right Day. What would you do if you could do nothing wrong? What would you choose to work on? We spend so much time focusing on where we fall short, so use today to consider where you could put your strengths to work.4
What would happen if we studied what is right with people instead of focusing on what is wrong with them? - Don Clifton
April 30th: Honesty Day. Use today to get honest with yourself. Honest about your wants and needs. Honest about your current reality and your future dreams. And, honest about what steps you can take to move from one to the other.
May 17th: Pizza Party Day. I don't know about you, but I will take any and all excuses to have pizza. Preferably a hot NY-style slice….sorry, where was I? It may be a cheesy idea (I couldn't help myself), but why not use this third Friday of May to plan your next steps and then grab some pies and some friends to celebrate your plans. Or combine the party, the planning, and the pizza.
June 15th: World Juggling Day. Use today to consider just how many projects you're attempting to juggle and how many you're actually able to keep in motion. Even the most experienced juggler has limits.
July 12th: Simplicity Day. If you used our June holiday to reduce your project load, maybe use today to consider how you can simplify the ones you're actively moving forward. Where have you added unnecessary complexity? What could you subtract to create a smoother path forward?
August 8th: Book Lovers Day. Books spark our creativity and imagination by introducing new worlds, perspectives, and insights. Today, open a book and see where it takes you.
September 28th: Ask a Stupid Question Day. Every invention or innovation probably started with what sounded like a stupid question at the time, which begs the question: are there really any stupid questions? So today, ask the silly, the ludicrous, the inane question because who knows where the answer will lead you.
October 20th: International Sloth Day. Celebrate today by doing as the sloths do and take it slllloooooooow. You might just be amazed by what gets figured out or revealed with a little extra time and space.
November 13th World Kindness Day. Because progress happens in the company of care and compassion. How can you be kind to others today? And how can you show some kindness to yourself?
December 8th: Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day. If you could travel in time, where would you go? Would you go back to take a redo? Go forward and see what's to come? Spend some time today looking back, connect the dots that brought you here, and then set your sights forward.
Don't let a date on the calendar determine when you can or can't start. Any day will do. Because it's not about when you start but that you start.
What day(s) are you setting aside for reflection and planning in 2024? Will you be joining me on any of the not-so-traditional holidays above?
I’m a Monday-Sunday gal myself.
Want to learn more about the origins of New Years? Check out this recent piece from CBS Sunday Morning:
A big thanks to
for introducing me to the power of C.A.T. (clean up, archive, trash) work\. Starting a new project is infinitely easier when you aren’t tripping over the debris left behind from your last one.
As a Gallup Certified Strengths coach expect to hear a lot more from me about CliftonStrengths and power of naming, claiming, and aiming your unique talents.