There is something magical about the idea of a new year, isn’t there? A fresh calendar, a changing number, the illusion of having a new chance in your hands.

It’s like a big reset button that invites us to do better, to be better. That’s why, every year, so many people make their resolutions: lose weight, read more books, learn a new language, be happier. A list often written on a blank sheet, full of enthusiasm and good intentions.

But let’s be honest, how long does it really last?

How many of those promises end up forgotten in a drawer?

And above all, why wait until January to start over?

The truth is that the idea of New Year’s resolutions is nice, but deeply limiting. There is no rule that says we have to wait until January 1st to change something in our lives. The possibility to improve, to grow, to try something new exists every single day. The new year, Monday, the first of the month are just excuses. We cling to these dates out of fear of acting immediately, thinking it’s not the right time.

In reality, the right time never comes. Or rather, the right time is now.

The main problem with resolutions, however, is not even when we make them but the way we conceive them. We write grand, unrealistic, almost utopian goals.

I want to be happy, I want to be rich, I want to completely change my life.

They are partly dreams, not resolutions. And there’s nothing wrong with dreaming, but if we’re not willing to face reality, those dreams will remain exactly that, fantasies. The mistake is in thinking that just writing something down will make it possible. But the truth is that every resolution requires commitment, consistency, and above all, a line of truth. If today you don’t even run to catch the bus, it doesn’t make sense to promise that you’ll run a marathon in three months.

If you really want to change something, you have to start with small, concrete steps.
It’s not about lowering expectations, but making them achievable.

Jim Rohn, a motivational speaker and entrepreneur, often talked about the “list of whys”. Why do you want to do something? Why do you want to change? But more than anything, Rohn posed two fundamental questions:

Why not you?
Why not now?

They are two very powerful questions.

Why aren’t you the person capable of achieving that dream? What do others have that you don’t? And, even more importantly, why are you waiting? What is holding you back?

Often the answer is simple, fear. The fear of failing, of not being enough, of not succeeding. But worse than failure is only the regret of never having tried.

Failure is part of the game. There is no change without mistakes, without obstacles, without moments when it seems like you’re back to square one. It’s frustrating, I know. But failure is proof that you’re doing something. That you’re trying. That you’re living. The real defeat is staying still, paralyzed by the fear of making mistakes. If you give up at the first obstacle, it’s not because you’re not capable, but because you haven’t given yourself enough time to adapt.

Change requires patience.

So, if you have something in mind, if there’s a goal buzzing in your head, stop waiting for the right moment. It doesn’t exist. It won’t be January, nor Monday, nor your birthday. The right time is now. Take the first step, no matter how small it may seem.

Maybe you won’t succeed immediately. Maybe it will take months, years. But at least you can say you put your heart into it. And that, believe me, is worth more than any perfect resolution written on a blank sheet.