Forget January 1st; the middle of the year is actually the perfect time to take stock of your personal goals and set new ones. If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. If your goals are fitness-related, then winter is a lot cooler for exercising compared to January. On top of that, the gyms are far less busy — with none of the post-New Year crowd who show up for three weeks and then suddenly vanish like a politician’s promise after election time.
If your goals are more financially oriented, then mid-year is also the perfect time for a reset. You’ve probably either finished your tax return or are currently working on it — so you’ve already got your annual income, tax deductions and personal expenses already calculated! Plus if you’ve got a nice little tax refund headed your way, then that’s a great way to fund new personal goals which may need some extra cash — maybe a new business venture, joining a sporting club, or signing up to a new course to upskill.
And if you’ve set New Year’s goals all the way back on January 1st, now is a great time to check in on them and see how you’re tracking. Psychological research shows that we need to perform an action for 66 days (on average) for it to become a habit — so if you can stick it out for 2 months, you’re well on the way to making it part of your life.
One final benefit of the mid-year reset I’m proposing is that you get to do it over a steaming hot brew in the corner of your favourite café; arguably a much better proposition in winter than summer! What do you think — is New Year or mid-year a better time for setting personal goals?
— The Editor
