What's more revolutionary than resolutions?
A case for a relaxed January
Here's your first permission slip for No Goals January: Today can be just a Wednesday if you want it to be.
Yes, even if it's January 1st. Even if your social media is flooded with rousing New Year proclamations and vision board parties, there's nothing magical about January 1st that you can't create for yourself any other day of the year.
The Unexpected Science Behind Fresh Starts
I discovered this fascinating truth while researching alternatives to traditional goal-setting for my book about helping overwhelmed students two years ago.
I was looking for something better than the standard “SMART goals" advice that I'd watched fall flat with countless students just weeks (or sometimes days) into each semester. That's when I stumbled upon a concept that delighted both the learning specialist and poet in me: "temporal landscapes." Think of them like borders we put around time to make that trippy, invisible concept feel more tangible and real.
Here's the surprising thing about these temporal landscapes - they're completely manufactured by our minds to help us make sense of time's endless flow. We created markers like January 1st to draw lines between past and future. It can help us imagine a past self who existed way back over there in 2024 and a new self with fresh hope and a springier step over here in 2025.
Psychologists call this the "fresh start effect," and it's powerful. But here's the real magic: your brain doesn't care if the marker is January 1st or next Tuesday at 3:30 PM. It will embrace that fresh start energy whenever you choose to create it.
Think about that for a moment. You have the power to create a fresh start every new moon, every morning, or every time you eat a bagel. The only requirement is that it feels meaningful to you.
Peace, not pressure
But before you rush to plant your flag in a new temporal landscape between old you and new you, here's what two decades of studying executive function has taught me: sustainable change starts with peace, not pressure.
The best way to prepare for any future transformation is to first get intimately acquainted with what relaxation feels like in your body. It’s like developing muscle memory for relaxation. The more familiar you get with how it feels, the easier it becomes to visit that state when you want to. Relaxation is powerful for improved cognitive functioning, creative potential, and having a positive impact on others around you. Goals or no goals, relaxation is a revolutionary way to enter 2025.
That's why we're starting No Goals January with an invitation to simply notice relaxation when it happens. Intentionally create small or big moments where it’s likely to happen. Let your nervous system remember what it feels like when tension lifts and the space of relaxation takes its place in your bones.
A Gentle Ritual for Letting Go
If you'd still like a gentle ritual to honor the new year, try this: Instead of adding something new, focus on letting something go. Here are some prompts to explore (maybe on a quiet walk or in your journal):
- Today, I choose to let go of the things I can that don’t bring me joy, energy, or meaning, including...
- What's the difference between letting go and giving up?
- Imagine yourself a year from now, without [something you've released]. How are you different without it?
Don't forget to check your inbox Friday for a Digital Treat - a little bit of magic to support your peaceful start to the year. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss it.
Until then, remember: whether today feels like a momentous fresh start or just another Wednesday, you're right where you need to be. There’s no magic in any particular day. The magic comes from you on any day of the year.
With love,
Tricia
P.S. If you found this helpful, consider sharing it with someone who might need permission to take the pressure off their New Year's Day.