Habits Over Hype 2: How To Get Unstuck In January (and beyond)

THEN vs. NOW: How Our Thinking Has Shifted

THEN (Early 2000s)

Motivation was treated as the main driver

Setbacks were framed as lack of discipline

Big goals were encouraged

January 1st was the reset button

NOW (Mid-2020s)

Motivation is understood as temporary

Habits succeed or fail based on design, not willpower

Small, specific actions outperform big goals

Any day can be a reset if the system supports it

peaceful and relaxing

Psychologists now emphasize specific plans (“when and where”), environmental cues, and self-compassion — not guilt — as the real drivers of change.

Even January Is Being Reconsidered

Another quiet shift? The calendar itself.

More people are questioning whether January 1st is really the best time to overhaul their lives. Some wellness professionals suggest that readiness matters more than dates, and alternative “fresh starts” — including spring resets — are gaining traction.

The takeaway is simple:

You don’t need a new year to begin

chilling with a favorite book

And you don’t need to wait another year if this one didn’t go as planned

About That Word “Failure”

One thing I would absolutely change from the original article is the language.

Framing setbacks as failure made sense in a tougher, hustle-driven era. 

Today, we know that shame doesn’t fuel growth — it shuts it down.

Modern psychology encourages a learning mindset:

If a habit didn’t stick, it wasn’t a character flaw

It was a design issue

And design issues can be fixed

Small Change Still Adds Up

The old coin-jar analogy still works beautifully.

A few coins don’t look like much — until one day they are.

Habits work the same way.

Small actions, done often enough, quietly compound.

So if your New Year goals already feel shaky, don’t scrap them.

tea for one

Shrink them.

Adjust the system.

Make the next step easier than the last one.

Real change doesn’t come from the calendar.

It comes from what you repeat.

If you could talk to yourself from years ago, what would you say?

Let's talk about it in the comments!

"Your Health Is Your Wealth!!"