Is It Time For A Mid-Year Resolution?

illustration by Aykut Aydoğdu

It’s common to make resolutions at the beginning of the year - most of us do it, whether we stick to them or not. There’s something about the turning of a year that offers hope and inspires us to try and improve certain aspects of our lives. And while vowing to turn over a new leaf can feel extremely liberating, it’s a total bummer to learn that 80% of new years resolutions fail.

For many people, our failed resolutions often revolve around health and fitness, quitting bad habits, or finding a new job. We start off full of good intentions, but soon enough (surprise, surprise), we find ourselves doing what we’ve always done. 

Rather than give up again until the following year, there’s something to be said for initiating our resolutions in the middle of the year. Here’s why.

Less outside expectations

We often decide to shout our resolutions far and wide in January, hoping that the more people we tell, the easier it will be to stick to our resolutions if we have some accountability. But more often than not, we end up feeling kind of silly - and even more guilty that we haven’t managed to stick to our resolutions. 

The gym won’t be as full

Have you ever visited a gym in the first few weeks of January? It’s packed with people who have overindulged at Christmas and have vowed to do things differently with a running start. For newbies, this can be intimidating. So why not use the resolution drop-off to your advantage? By the middle of the year, most of people will have fallen off the wagon - which means more room for you - and a way less crowded gym. And if you’re worried about missing out on the special offers after Christmas, don’t worry, the summer is often another time that gyms and health clubs have a membership push. It’s just that less people actually take advantage of the summertime deals.

There are a number of different options you can try to get fit. From joining the gym to the coveted Peloton or Soul Cycle bike, to that old Bunz of Steel VHS tape to one of these 7 different routines inspired by superheroes. Whatever works for you works. End of story.

Summer and spring make it easier 

Depending on where in the world that you live, if New Year falls in the winter months, it’s not the ideal time to start on a major lifestyle change. The weather is cold, you can’t get outdoors as much and you’re probably experiencing the effects of less exposure to the sun. When the weather begins to improve as the year goes on, many people find it a lot easier to be active and make healthier choices in the summer. It’s also a lot easier to think clearly without that ever-present existentialist winter angst.

There’s no arbitrary deadline

In our mind, the start of a new year is the ideal starting point for resolutions, and for most of us, the following Christmas is the cut off point for progress. We say things like, ‘by this time next year, I want to have learned Spanish’ or ‘I want to lose 50 lbs.’ However, as soon as we stumble in our progress and this arbitrary deadline seems unreachable, we tend to give up. Making a resolution in the middle of the year concentrates your mind on just getting started, rather than the pressure of what you can do in a year, or any looming deadline. 

If you’re the type of person that always makes resolutions at the beginning of the year, only to feel like a failure by the following month, then it’s worth reevaluating your goals in the middle of the year, rather than falling into old habits for the rest of the year. Another way to approach big resolutions is with, surprisingly, small baby steps. Breaking down a big goal into lots of achievable steps is a great way to move forward steadily while keeping motivated. Hopefully with these tips, your chances of succeeding will be much higher.