Our editor ponders how one should start realistically defining the phrase “new beginnings” and why we should no longer put the month of January on a magical pedestal.
Personally speaking. I have always had a difficult relationship with the month of January.
First of all, being the first month of a new year, I would typically experience this overflowing urge to vastly improve myself. Quite literally, beginning from the very first second of the 1st of January, I would feel terribly compelled to become a much better version of myself than who I was on the 31st of December of the previous year. On top of that, my birthday happens to be in January as well, which suggests that my self-improvement should be doubled compared to everyone else’s. Time to be, rather magically, more mature than I used to be. Time to be smarter. Tougher. Happier. With a snap of my finger.
Unfortunately, time and time again, I would later discover that switching my calendar on the wall and staying up all night until the date on my mobile phone changes have no such magical effects whatsoever. And, once February comes around, I would usually come to my senses and realise that my obsession with doubly magnified self-improvement is a lost cause to begin with.
Yet somehow, when the next January comes around, that same self-indoctrination would transpire all over again.
The only thing that helps calm my soul a little bit, though, is knowing that I am not the only one harbouring such mind-boggling expectations every time the month of January knocks on one’s door. For instance, gym memberships usually reach their peak registration volume in the first month of the year. Top-to-bottom house cleaning typically occurs in the very month. Meanwhile, many people in the West still believe in the soul-cleansing power of Dry January — in which one refrains from drinking any alcohol in January as a personal challenge.
And then, rather predictably so, we as a human race would usually return to our vices and messy selves in February. Our treadmill session shrinks from five days a week to only at weekends. As January’s tidiness finally loses its novelty, we start browsing online for new ornaments to decorate our residence. We start stocking our fridge with beers again on the 1st of February. At first glance, these seem like waving a white flag, as we begrudgingly acknowledge our defeat against the challenges that we have willingly set up for ourselves in the previous month.
But let’s think calmly and take all of our January experiences into account for a minute. Would it be so wrong for us to say, take away what (we think) makes January such an absurdly important month?
And, for January 2026, I decided to ask that question to myself.
For this particular January, I was very grateful to be able to ring in the new year in London, watching the fireworks show across the London Eye alone with thousands of Londoners and tourists from various corners of the world. Admittedly, it was a beautiful moment–but this time around, I consciously decided that it was ‘beautiful’, not ‘magical’. I decided to stop putting the month of January on a pedestal. With such a grandiose and majestic backdrop, I focused only on immersing myself in gratitude for all my hard work last year and being healthy enough to see the new year with the rest of the world. I conveyed a silent wish for a good year, then I returned to my hotel. Full stop. As simple as that.
Turns out, this consciously simple perspective has been a very freeing and joyful experience. Instead of worrying about how I can be a lot better than who I was last year, as well as how to remain consistent with being the so-called ‘new me‘, I was simply enjoying my holiday in London. I breathed in the fresh air of the city’s iconic parks, checked out museums, and sipped warm, English black teas. January does not have to be transformative; January can simply be fun and relaxing.
However, does this also mean that making resolutions is actually detrimental to one’s quality of life in the new year?
Truth be told, even until today, it bothers me a little bit whenever someone says that they have given up on making any New Year’s resolutions. Why? Because, at least in my perspective, going through each day without any meaningful goal in mind can be just as punishing and unrealistic as going through each day with an overblown expectation of oneself. The key, I have learned and embraced, is fully understanding that every desired accomplishment requires not a magical moment, but a process. Another important key is not to make one’s goals for the new year overtly specific. After all, life is full of surprises, and sometimes we get to unexpectedly accomplish things that are beyond our imagination.
In my case, one of my goals for this year (not a New Year’s resolution) is to eat healthier. Not “I’d like to diligently eat green vegetables at least five days a week“ or “I’d like to drink kiwi blend literally every morning before I start my day instead of a big mug of hot caffeine.“ By deciding to eat healthier this year, I would simply ask myself each day, “What can I do today to make sure that I eat healthier?“ Focus on the day, not the year. Let each day accumulate into a process, then let the process lead to a palpable result.
So, after all has been said and done, how should one define “new beginnings” for this month of January?
Well, the definition of that phrase is, quite literally, up to you. Nothing and no one can force-feed the cliché-and-cruel definition of “new beginnings”. You can define that phrase as an opportunity to start instilling a calmer and more hopeful perspective on life. You can define that phrase as a chance to be kinder to yourself as well as others.
As for me, personally? Well, I have defined the phrase “new beginnings” for January 2026 as the moment to continue last year’s hard work and start focusing on what truly matters in this new year—a good life, not a perfect version of oneself.
DISCLAIMER: Any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Indonesia Expat.