New Year’s Resolutions vs. Springtime Intentions: When is the Perfect Time to set goals?

Every new beginning holds the promise of transformation - but when is the best time, to start? Is it when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve and the bold energy of the new year, floods us with resolutions. Or, is it the hopeful renewal of Spring that truly fuels lasting change, as intentional energy emerges.

Which moment truly holds the power for change: the fresh start of January or the renewing spirit of Spring?

Discover how timing your goals with intention can lead to your most powerful breakthroughs yet.

There is something about the end of a year, that gets us ruminating over both what we have and have not achieved for the year.  It can be a bittersweet place to sit and reflect, our positive and lapsed accomplishments but it can also be the crucial time, when we decide that the 1st of the year, will be different.  Seeing the old year out with a bang and the new in, can often feel like a fresh start, with the excitement of new beginnings and a sense of optimism. It can be a time when we make big resolutions, driven by a sense of inspiring possibilities.

So what about Spring?

Springtime, is also considered a natural time for goal setting because it symbolises renewal and growth. The longer days and warmer weather creates a sense of energy and possibility, making it easier to approach new challenges with optimism.

Unlike the cold, dark months of Winter, Spring brings a feeling of freshness, as nature itself is in the process of blossoming.

With the brighter months, we tend to feel more motivated to reflect on what we want to achieve, and the shift in season often inspires a happy desire to take action, whether it is starting a new project, focusing on personal growth, or simply shaking off the lethargy of Winter. It is a time when setting goals feels in sync with nature and growth, encouraging a more brighter, colourful and often warmer environment, around us, to take action.

But what do we do when we miss both those windows, or our intentions do not start the way we planned? 

Should we wait until the next following year or just give up entirely?  Well those are two options, I guess, which offers you…

• Missed Opportunities for Growth: Postponing goals means you are delaying progress, as each day, month, or year you push them off is a lost opportunity for learning and personal growth. You could be building positive habits and skills now, instead of waiting for a “perfect” moment that may never come.

  
  

• Loss of Momentum: The longer you delay setting and working towards goals, the harder it can become to get started. Motivation tends to fluctuate, and procrastination can take hold, making it easier to talk yourself out of things.

  
  

• Frustration and Disappointment: Continuously putting off goal setting can lead to feelings of disappointment or even guilt. The cycle of setting resolutions and not following through can make you feel stuck, leading to burnout or boredom.

  
  

• Missed Adjustment Opportunities: Waiting until the new year means missing out on making adjustments or course corrections now. If you keep postponing, you miss the chance to refine your goals and strategies, which could make them more achievable.

  
  

• Mindset Trap: Giving up entirely can become a mental barrier. If you convince yourself that you are not good at goal setting or that you have failed too many times, you may start to develop a fixed mindset, believing that change is not possible. This undermines motivation and the ability to grow.

Now what about if we give ourselves some more options, so to make a better choice.   What if we treat each day, week, month, as a continuous opportunity to focus on our wins, losses, changes and developments? What possibilities could we now have and how successful, could we be?

• Ability to Set Micro Goals: By setting smaller goals (1-3), for the week/month/quarter, rather than waiting for a momentous fresh start, to make those big gestures, our small wins can create momentum, and those micro-goals will add up over time.

  
  

• Reframing Your Approach: It is okay if you have not met a goal yet, as by shifting your mindset from failure to learning and asking yourself, ‘what can I learn from this experience?’  Will help you to gain an insight into your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, which will then help with understanding and build resilience, so that when things do not go as planned, you will have an awareness, as part of the process instead of a setback.

  
  

• Practicing Continuous Reflection: By practicing regular check-ins, instead of setting a goal and forgetting about it.  You will develop your skill of evaluating where you are at, so to adjust your goals, when relevant, rather than waiting for a specific time.  Set a routine of assessing progress weekly, monthly and/or quarterly, to stay on track and stay adaptable.

  
  

• Focussing on the "Why": Reconnecting with the deeper reasons behind your goals and understanding the core motivation for what you want to achieve can reignite your passion and help you stay consistent - When your why is strong, the how becomes clearer.

  
  

• Acknowledging/Celebrating Small Wins: I cannot stress how important it is to appreciate your small achievements.  By doing so, it helps to build positive momentum. You can feel proud of your effort, and this positive reinforcement keeps you moving forward, knowing where it is, you wish to get to.

  
  

• Committing to Continuous Growth, Not Perfection: By focusing on consistent improvement, instead of aiming for perfection or waiting for the “right moment,” your mindset will move from your goals needing to be grand or perfect, to being more meaningful that progress is progress, no matter how small.

  
  

• Creating Flexibility: Being open to revising goals as life changes and adjusting them to suit where you are now, encourages success, rather than, staying rigid and sticking to your original plans. Life is everchanging, and your goals should evolve with you.

Hopefully after reading the bulleted observations, you are now more inclined to follow the latter suggestions, where you can adopt an adaptable mindset, that can build a steady path towards growth, no matter the time of year.

So with that said, let's explore the path you are now on and where you want to go. 

Be intentional with your time to find a comfortable space, so to explore your current vs future, needs and wants and please remember…

• Goal setting is about laying the foundation of achievements, but it is not the first step on your journey, as the first step is reflection.

• When reflecting, take a moment to look back, remember, and learn, especially disappointments, which can be hard. You should always be learning about what lessons life teaches you, for understanding, growth and readiness of similar situations in the future.

• What do you need and want, to achieve your goal. This can come in the form of you tapping into your individual skillset, as well as welcoming and/or asking for the support and resources, from those around you.

• Set yourself up to achieve your goals.  Enter onto your path, with the right mindset, insights, intentions, and focus. The one thing you can control is yourself - your attitude, thoughts, feelings, behaviours and choices.

• If you need to change or adapt a goal, at any given time, then do so, as they are your dreams and wishes and you have the control to do that.

• Try to stay in the moment.  Be mindful and appreciate what is happening within the here and now. We can often achieve a goal but are "so busy" moving onto the next, that we forget to pause and appreciate the accomplishment.

• Learn to celebrate those small wins, as they are just as important as the big ones.

• Not every goal may get achieved within the timeframe set and that is ok, as our circumstances and priorities can change over time, so to, can our wants and needs, including the world around us. It just means you have to evaluate what to do next!

Happy goal setting!!!