A good start to the year: January in small blocks instead of big resolutions

On 1 January everything feels possible. More exercise, less phone, finally doing the taxes early. By mid-February usually not much of it is left. That is not down to a lack of willpower, but to the kind of resolutions: big, vague, without a date. A good start to the year looks different – smaller, more concrete and with a visible effect.

Why resolutions so rarely last

“This year everything will be different” is a nice thought, but not a plan. Most resolutions have three weaknesses:

• They are too big. “Live more healthily” has no first step.
• They have no point in time. When exactly does it happen? Without a date, everyday life always wins.
• They all start at once. Five changes at once overwhelm even the most motivated January.

More about goals that actually last in the article Goals that last: from resolution to the first block.

Instead of resolutions: a few basics done

The idea for a good start to the year: instead of big promises, in January you sort out a few basics that make the whole year easier. Each of them is a small block with a clear end.

1. Enter important dates for the year (30 minutes). Birthdays, holidays, known deadlines. What is in the calendar no longer has to live in your head.
2. Split one project into blocks (30 minutes). Just one. What do you really want to achieve this year? And what is the first block for it?
3. 5 minutes of planning for tomorrow every workday. The smallest habit with the biggest effect.
4. Review contracts and subscriptions (45 minutes). Electricity, phone, insurance, streaming. What is running, what does it cost, what do you still need?
5. Cancel unnecessary subscriptions (20 minutes). The very next day, while the decision is fresh.
6. Sort last year’s paperwork (60 minutes). One folder for the old year, one for the new – also for your next tax return.
7. First month: a quick look back (20 minutes). What worked? What do you take with you into February?

Entering dates: the block that works all year

This block sounds unspectacular, but it is one of the most valuable of the year. Sit down with your calendar and enter what is already fixed:

• Birthdays of family and friends – with a reminder a few days before, so there is time for a card.
• Holidays and long weekends, as far as known.
• Deadlines such as cancellation dates, taxes or contract renewals.
• Recurring appointments such as check-ups or the car’s inspection.

What is in the calendar, your mind can let go of. How birthdays and contacts stay alive in everyday life is described in the article Keeping up friendships.

Five minutes for tomorrow

The one habit in January: five minutes for tomorrow on every workday. What is coming up? What is the most important thing? Where is there room for breaks? Five minutes are enough not to start from zero the next morning.

The nice thing about this habit: it is small enough to succeed on full days too, and noticeable enough to stick. It is counted kindly, as “x of y workdays”. More in the article Evening routine.

Subscriptions and contracts: getting money back

Many people pay month after month for things they hardly use any more. A pass through your bank statements quickly shows what is debited regularly. For each subscription, one question: did I use this last month? If not – cancel. Ideally on a separate day, so the review does not turn into a long evening.

One project instead of ten

Of course the new year may include something bigger too: a language course, more exercise, a project that has been waiting for a long time. Choose a single project and split it into blocks that fit into a week. “Learn Spanish” becomes “Tuesday and Thursday 20 minutes of vocabulary”. “More exercise” becomes “Saturday 30 minutes of cycling”. Only once that one project has arrived in everyday life does the next one join.

You do not have to start on 1 January

1 January is a symbolic day, but not a magical one. A good start works just as well on 10 January, in February or after your birthday. If you slept through the first of January, you have missed nothing. What matters is the first block, not the date.

The “Good start” group in DayBlock

In DayBlock this January plan is a group to join. With one tap, the blocks land on suitable days in January in your calendar – the dates block with steps for birthdays, holidays and deadlines, and the five minutes for tomorrow as a habit on workdays with the weekly goal “4 of 5”. You deselect what you do not need and move what does not fit.

At the end of January the look back is in your plan. And you see how many others are starting the year just as calmly. Why that helps is explained in the article Doing it together.

Summary

A good start to the year is not a big promise, but a handful of basics done: dates in the calendar, one project in blocks, tidied-up subscriptions and five minutes for tomorrow. That is less glamorous than “This year everything will be different” – but in February you feel the difference.