the art of the winter arc

“I’ll start next year.”

a single sentence everyone has said to themselves at one time or another. 

but why? why can’t you start right now, in the middle of the week, in the middle of the month, or at the end of the year? 

it’s because we like the idea of a fresh start. the fresh start effect leads us to believe that we should begin our positive lifestyle changes at temporal landmarks — namely the new year. temporal landmarks, we like to think, separate us from past failures (“I’m going to be better this year”), make us focus on the future (“I’ll finally quit my terrible job this year”), and force us to commit to self-improvement (“I’m going to eat healthy, exercise every day, and read 5 self-help books per month this year”). the idea of a fresh start motivates us to become the best versions of ourselves, but eventually we’ll tire out because we jumped headfirst into the freezing cold water of commitment. 

this leads us to the winter arc. 

treat your winter arc as pre-new year resolutions. starting your new year’s goals and habits early will help you maintain them come January. 

in a study by Forbes in 2023, only 22% of respondents recorded maintaining their New Year’s resolutions three months into the new year.

it’s a common mistake people make is to start everything at once. that’s no good. if you start every single new habit you want to create and maintain at the same time, you will burn out. so, my recommendation is to choose what habits you want for the new year, begin to implement them during the winter months one at a time, maybe one per week, and by 2026 you will already have so many good habits that you will actually be able to maintain.

so, how will we have a winter arc?

first, I want you to decide on four actions that you want to mold your winter arc around, and we’re going to focus on one per week. you 100% do not have to follow my exact habits, but focusing on the week-by-week blueprint is what’s important.

week 1 — create a routine

having a routine is crucial. you could be doing all of the right things — working out, eating clean, sleeping well, etc — but without a routine you have to think about when, where, and how you’re going to do these things. a routine can be as simple as “I’m going to go to the grocery story every Sunday,” (now you don’t have to think about when you’ll run out of food), or “I’m going to treat myself to dessert every Friday.” routines don’t have to be monotonous, make your’s fun!

week 2 — find a hobby

it’s so common now for us to not have hobbies. all we do is work, look at our phones, and sleep. remember what it was like to be a kid with no phone, a TV limit, and time to do things for fun? choose something you used to love doing and haven’t done in a long time, or something that you’ve always wanted to try.

week 3 — create a fitness schedule

going to the gym can be so daunting. if fitness is a goal of your’s for 2026, as it was for 48% of people in 2023, it’s incredibly helpful to identify the date, time, and location of your physical activity. once you create your schedule for the week and stick to it, you may decide you want to alter it, and that’s okay! as long as you find what works for you, habits aren’t that hard to maintain.

week 4 — clean out your socials

we don’t want to go into 2026 following the toxic girls from high school who make us feel like we’re not enough! we don’t want to be following the influencers who make us feel bad about our own lives! hit that unfollow button (I know it may seem rude or like you’re missing out), but really, what’s worse? missing out on their picture-perfect highlight reel, or missing our on your own incredible, messy, emotion-filled life?

remember to do some reflection with each completed week about how this new habit felt. and remember, too, that you can start before the new year, you can start in the middle of the month and you can start on a Friday. we only have one life, and we should spend it the best way we know how.

Sources: 

Wellman, J. (2024, December 26). Fresh Starts: The Psychology Behind New Year Motivation. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/4000-mondays/202412/fresh-starts-the-psychology-behind-new-year-motivation

Lloyd, M. (2024, January 12). Top 2024 New Year’s resolutions. Forbes Health. https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/new-year-resolutions-survey-2024/