It’s that awkward time between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. What are you doing? Maybe you’re like me, scrolling endlessly through Instagram reels and Pinterest, searching for the perfect “new year, new me” vision. But what if it’s all kind of a scam? Somewhere in our minds, we’ve convinced ourselves that a new beginning automatically brings a new person, like a magical switch flips at midnight. On New Year’s Eve morning, I literally caught myself thinking, “I know I’ve been scrolling through reels all day, but I’ll be different tomorrow.” Maybe it's the obsessive part of me that, in my head, everything has to be perfect the second the clock hits 12:00 a.m., as if those first few minutes define who I’ll be for the entire year. And yet—surprise—that Pilates class I planned for 8:00 a.m.? Didn’t happen. The resolution to go to bed earlier? Also didn’t last. Some people might scream “SCAM!” but I think there’s a deeper reason we’re so drawn to the “new year, new me” ideas.
Psychologically, the end of the year gives us a natural pause for reflection, making it feel like the right time to start fresh. Even ancient traditions, like honoring Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, highlight our long-standing desire for clean slates. Still, no matter how strong the motivation is in my head, it tends to disappear the moment I have to wake up early and work out. So here are six ways to actually keep habits going into the new year—because I still want to believe in new beginnings, even if they don’t last for most people. Think of it like a marathon. If you wait until race day to start training, you’ll either quit mid-run or never show up at all.
Habits work the same way. If you delay starting until January 1, you’re more likely to quit a few days in—or decide, not this year, for the fifth year in a row. The solution? Build momentum before the new year. If you want to walk 10,000 steps a day, start today. Waiting just reinforces the habit of delay. Be someone who values consistent effort over a dramatic reset. Second: intentionality. Focus on how you want to feel, not just what you want to achieve. Third: small steps. Set goals that are realistic and measurable. Saying you’ll run eight miles every day starting January 1 is like trying to skate uphill. You might manage it once, but you’ll burn out fast. Start with two miles, then four, and work your way up.
Fourth: routine and reflection. Create simple daily tasks and schedule check-ins to reflect and adjust before the new year to see which morning routine works for you, for example. Fifth: new actions. If you want different results, you need to take new risks for new skills, new habits, and new choices. A new year doesn’t change anything on its own; repeating the same actions just gives you the same outcome.
In the end, the real “scam” isn’t wanting change—it’s believing the calendar is what creates it. Real “new beginnings” come from you, not the date. I don’t think resolutions are the problem. I still believe that there’s something sort of transformative and thrilling about thinking to yourself once a year and admitting, “I want better for me.” That spark of hope, that belief that you can change, is not a trick. What we do is pretend it’s all going to happen on one night, on one list, on one strategic reboot. I get it—it can be so fun to dream of the perfect life and draw vision boards, but change doesn’t happen on January 1. It happens on random days when we have a plan for which workout you want to do, so you start it right then and there. Change happens when we make a small decision, like hearing that alarm clock, and finally choosing to wake up to it. You feel good about it and want to wake up again without hitting snooze—it starts a physiological cycle. Maybe instead of throwing out resolutions altogether on the first day of the year, we start momentum before so we can enter the year feeling great and continue throughout. Yes, there may be one or two bad days, but never give up.
***
To contact the author: Karla Pye '29
Photo by Chris Birrittella '28