By now we all know that New Year’s resolutions are destined to fail.
Meaningful change is rare — that hopeful vision tends to fade into obscurity when we transition from the holidays back to “real” life. And each year, “the experts” are quick to offer their hottest takes explaining why that is.
If there’s one guy who knows what the experts tell us it’s my dad. He’s not the type you would find making an idealistic, sentimental resolution, or really endorsing idealism in general. As a leadership strategist, he leans toward a more analytical line of thinking, and he would gladly point you to any number of passages from James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” to illuminate the naïveté of New Year’s resolutions.
But something he said the other day resonated with me, and even rung with the hum of subtle genius: Healthy January.
Much of our family’s twilight holiday afterglow was spent contemplating the sheer amount of food we’d consumed. My parents had gone into full-on chef mode, pumping out plates of beef wellington, Dutch pannenkoeken, and all manner of old-world specialties.
When the carnival ride of gluttony and indulgence came to a stop, I was adrift in a haze of sugar, spice, butter, and wine. My dad was on the couch. He let out a sigh that was also a groan, and that’s when he first mentioned the idea of Healthy January.
“This has been too much decadence,” he said. “In January, I’m going to be eating well and exercising again. It’s going to be a healthy January.”
These pictures from “Indulgent December”
At first, it sounds simple. But the more you consider the idea, the better it is. Instead of a vague promise that’s doomed from the start, it’s a succinct and achievable proposition which, if stuck to, will leave you with a feeling of accomplishment. And what’s better than starting off the new year on the right foot?
Each time my dad mentioned “Healthy January,” I found myself liking it more and more. Healthy January! Sign me up!
In a maze of self-improvement strategies, here was a straightforward idea that could actually work. Just set some measurable habits and resolutions for one month — that’s four weeks, thirty days! It could be working out three times a week, or meditating for ten minutes each morning. After all, isn’t that just twelve workouts, or five total hours of meditation?
A New Year’s resolution is a mountain, but Healthy January was a molehill with a scenic view.
It has come to my attention that James Clear’s “Four Laws of Behavioral Change” are to 1) make it obvious, 2) make it attractive, 3) make it easy, and 4) make it satisfying. Healthy January is all of these things, and that’s why I propose Healthy January (or Mindful January, or any other habit change) for your consideration this 2023. I for one am pretty excited about it.
Here’s wishing you a great year ahead, or at the very least, a January where shit is at least sort of under control.