Leigh Leigh Speaks

It’s interesting, really—I’ve always been a bit of a fanatic about the New Year. The anticipation of the whole “New Year, New Me” craze used to be the fuel that kept me going year after year.

I think it was last year when my brain finally decided to grow a brain of its own. I had this sudden realization: Wait a minute… starting something new in the winter feels kind of absurd. When we look at the natural cycles of life—plants, vegetation, growth—we see that most seeds are planted in the spring and harvested in the fall. So why on earth do we think we can plant seeds in the dead of winter and expect them to be thriving by the next year? Something about the whole ordeal just started to feel off to me. I decided not to participate. I was experiencing my own Bah-humbug (New Years style!)

Honestly, the more in tune I become with the shenanigans of this present world, the more I question the validity of many popular traditions.

With all that said, this year I felt far less of the New Year’s bah-humbug this year and decided to set goals—but not for the entire year. Instead, I leaned into winter goals. Seasonal goals. Goals that actually make sense for the season I’m living in.

I fully plan on changing some of them when spring rolls around—and honestly, doesn’t that feel more realistic? Wouldn’t this mindset help those of us who fall off the New Year’s bandwagon after week two or three? Instead of giving up for another year, we could simply reset with the next season.

Wouldn’t it also make sense if our goals matched what our bodies are already adjusting to? The slower rhythms, the inward energy, the need for rest? Maybe if we considered that before going all in, we’d spare ourselves the shame, self-judgment, and harsh inner criticism that tends to follow when we “fail.”

I don’t know—just something I’ve been pondering this morning.

Do you have New Year’s goals or traditions you keep every year? Have you started to question whether the whole “New Year, New Me” mindset is a bit of a scam? I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts.