New Year, New You? Why Every New Day Is an Opportunity for Change
I love goals.
I love data, tracking progress, and noticing patterns…what works, what doesn’t, and what gets in the way. I’m sure my family grows tired of my frequent check-ins about what they want to work on week to week. But when goals are measurable and intentional, they give us something incredibly valuable: information.
The key, though, is how we respond to that information. Growth happens when we approach our shortcomings with curiosity and compassion—not guilt, judgment, or shame.
The Pressure of New Year’s Resolutions
This time of year, many of us set New Year’s resolutions. We’ve been thinking about them for weeks, maybe months, and January 1st arrives with the promise of change.
Dry January.
Eating healthier.
Working out more.
Being more productive.
The list goes on.
I have nothing against New Year’s resolutions—I’ve fallen for their appeal many times myself. The new year does offer a sense of reset, a symbolic clean slate where past missteps feel neatly tucked away.
But with that reset often comes pressure.
When we’ve been anticipating “the big change” for months, the weight of expectation can become heavy. Sometimes guilt and pressure keep us moving forward—but at what point do they become so costly that we give up altogether?
Why Wait for the “Perfect” Time?
My argument is simple: why wait for the new year?
Our culture often reinforces the idea that if we don’t follow through on our resolutions, we’ve failed. And when that happens, it’s easy to tell ourselves, “There’s always next year.”
This mindset quietly teaches us to wait for the perfect moment to begin working on ourselves.
But that perfect moment doesn’t exist.
Anxiety thrives on conditions. It tells us we can cope if everything lines up just right…if the weather is good, if we’re having a “good” day, if work is going smoothly.
And when those conditions inevitably change, anxiety steps in and convinces us we can’t handle it.
So we wait. Again.
But growth doesn’t happen when discomfort disappears. It happens when we move through it.
Empowerment Comes From Action
I often tell clients this: when we make choices and change behaviors that go against anxiety’s pull—for the sake of our mental health and overall well-being—the empowerment that follows is invaluable.
External validation may feel good, but nothing compares to the internal experience of doing something difficult and realizing, I handled that.
Seek out that feeling of empowerment.
It may be small or it may feel significant—but these internal rewards are available to us daily, regardless of the time of year.
Aligning Goals With Values
So how do we begin?
Start with values.
How did you choose your New Year’s resolutions? Were they intentionally connected to what matters most to you—or influenced by the season and the flood of social media messaging?
Recently, I completed a values sort exercise. I’ll be honest, it was time-consuming and frustrating. At first, I rushed through it, hoping for clarity or an “answer.” But what I realized was that the process itself was the work.
There was no dopamine hit, just reflection, slowing down, and noticing what truly matters.
Some questions that came up for me:
Am I a bad person for prioritizing one value over another?
Will some values change over time while others remain constant?
Is there a desire to strengthen one value right now?
Are my actions aligned with my values? If not, what small steps could help?
If you’re interested in exploring this, I recommend engaging in a values sort every few months:
https://learning-tools.thegoodproject.org/value-sort
Turning Values Into Action
Anxiety often interferes with our values, pulling us toward avoidance and short-term relief rather than long-term meaning.
One helpful tool is a goal attainment scale:
Identify a value
Name actions that reflect alignment with that value
Describe what full alignment would look like
Notice where you are currently
Consider what drifting away from that value might look like
This isn’t about perfection—it’s about awareness and direction.
A Gentle Challenge
I challenge you to go after your goals on the imperfect day.
When you take steps forward despite discomfort or uncertainty, you’re training your brain to become more flexible. You’re building resilience. And you’re cultivating a sense of empowerment that no calendar date can provide.
Ready for Support?
You don’t need a new year to begin—just a willingness to take one imperfect step.
If anxiety has been getting in the way of following through on your values or goals, therapy can help you practice moving forward with intention and self-compassion. Feel free to contact me to schedule a consultation and learn more.
