How to Make This New Year the Last New Year
Jan 05, 2024
As-Salaam-Alaikum everyone! Welcome back to Muslim Women Invest.
Can you believe that 2023 is already over? It never ceases to amaze me how fast the year flies by.
Now, the turn of the year always brings on different emotions for different people. Are you excited about the upcoming year? Or, like me, are you a bit more anxious when entering a new year—and encountering all the pressure that comes with it?
Personally, I am really annoyed and irritated by the whole idea of New Year’s resolutions and the pressure that comes with them. They make me anxious because I've never been able to fulfill any New Year's resolutions. And if you’re like me, then stick around—this message is for you.
Can you believe that 2023 is already over? It never ceases to amaze me how fast the year flies by.
Now, the turn of the year always brings on different emotions for different people. Are you excited about the upcoming year? Or, like me, are you a bit more anxious when entering a new year—and encountering all the pressure that comes with it?
Personally, I am really annoyed and irritated by the whole idea of New Year’s resolutions and the pressure that comes with them. They make me anxious because I've never been able to fulfill any New Year's resolutions. And if you’re like me, then stick around—this message is for you.
The Toxic Trap of New Year’s Resolutions
In my opinion, this whole concept of New Year’s resolutions is extremely toxic. I believe it feeds into procrastination—and, on the other end of the spectrum, perfectionism.
This happens because we have commercialized everything. We have commercialized the shift from one year to the next by using it to advertise new classes, gym memberships, and more, as if January 1st is the magic date when you can turn your whole life around.
Many companies try to sell the dream that when the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, you are magically going to convert into somebody else.
Unfortunately, the truth is that habits take weeks to develop. It’s not a date that will be the catalyst for change in your life; it's consistency or time that leads to permanent change.
Despite this truth, because we are creations of haste and we are always looking for shortcuts, we fail see the bigger picture. Instead, we continue to fall into the trap of New Year’s resolutions.
No More New Year’s Resolutions
I want you to make this the last year you look forward to a new year and think of it as your only opportunity to try and achieve your goals. You should be striving to achieve your goals every day—not just on January 1st.
There is nothing magical about January 1st. In fact, if you ask me, if there’s something new you want to begin doing in the upcoming year, you really should be starting in December.
For example, I start my day-trading course in December, and I've seen remarkable results achieved by the people who take that course. It allows them to make money from their bed. It allows them to learn a skill that is able to pay their bills. Anybody can learn it…and nobody has to wait for the new year to begin.
Now, I could easily begin the course in January instead. I could take advantage of the already-commercialized hype time in which people are excited to try new things. But I choose not to, because I feel that that is an extreme injustice that we do to ourselves.
I believe that beginning in December gives you a much higher chance of continuing to learn that particular skill or form that particular habit throughout January and the rest of the year.
When you begin something in December instead of making it a New Year’s resolution and trying to radically change your life in January, you are giving yourself room to make mistakes.
By starting in December, you're going to be four weeks in doing this particular thing by the time January rolls in, and you’ll have given yourself to chance to make up for any stumbles or missteps early on. This also gives you time to adjust to a new routine, and ensures that by the time you reach January, you’ll have started seeing results.
Seeing results is an extremely important factor to successfully sticking with a new habit. So by the time that surge of New Year’s motivation hits, you’ll already be able to see the results of your work, and that will fuel you to keep going for the rest of the year.
So you will have a head start. It also gives you time to adjust to a new routine. And by the time January rolls in, you are going to start seeing some results, which are.
On the other hand, if you wait for January 1st, you are buying into the perfectionism mindset. You are buying into the idea that you’re going to start going to the gym cold turkey, with no warm up to it, and you’re somehow going to stick to it. And when you don’t see the results you’re wanting in the first couple weeks, you’ll likely begin to taper off…and eventually give up.
Whereas if you begin in December, the hype of New Year’s resolutions haven’t gotten to you, and by the time you reach January 15th, you have six weeks under your belt, and it’s very likely you’ll already be seeing success.
On the other end of the spectrum, New Year’s resolutions also end up encouraging procrastination. New Year’s resolutions are literally excuses to creep out of a commitment that you made to yourself, or to prevent you from pursuing your goals despite nothing standing in your way.
Do not let your brain trick you, and do not disrespect yourself by putting so much pressure on yourself to change everything in a single day. Instead, respect your body, give yourself ample time to develop a new habit, and give yourself time to make mistakes—but don’t tell yourself you have to wait until January 1st to get started.
The Last New Year
I want you to promise yourself that this is the last year you are going to be excited about New Year’s Eve, and the last year you’re going to commit to New Year’s resolutions. You can commit to your goals at any time.
If you’ve been wanting to begin learning about investing, for instance, you haven’t missed your chance—and you don’t have to wait until the next new year to begin. You can join my weekly classes held every Sunday for absolutely free. Just click on the link below!
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