Why Wait? Kickstart Your Goals This Nov New Year

November 1, 2023 | Self Help

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I have never liked the concept of New Year’s resolutions. Most of them are abandoned by February, and for the most part, they don’t bring about any type of change. The concept of “Nov New Year” revolves around a pre-emptive start to one’s resolutions and goals, capitalizing on November 1st rather than waiting until January 1st. Let’s delve deeper into this idea.

Origin and Philosophy:

The “Nov New Year” recognizes that for many, the last two months of the calendar year can become a whirlwind of holidays, events, and end-of-year tasks. Translation: Lots of distractions. Furthermore, it’s a period when the general mindset tends to be one of winding down rather than ramping up. Yet, this can be a golden opportunity for individuals to get a jumpstart on their dreams for the upcoming year and their life in general.

And instead of calling them “resolutions”,  let’s call them commitments and recommitments. Some of the things we want to change in our lives might be a commitment to something new. “I want to write a book” or “I want to start a business” might be things we’ve never done before. I’m sure some of the habits we resolve to change have been something we have tried to change in the past. Recommitment implies that we never lost sight of the importance of having good habits or never changed our minds that certain behaviors were desirable. It is just a recommitment to practice these habits and behaviors to shift momentum in our favor.

Advantages:

• Avoiding the Rush: The majority of people set New Year’s resolutions in January. By starting in November, one avoids the mainstream resolutions rush and sets a unique path for themselves. You might be able to land that new sales account, get that big project done, or spend more time at an empty gym because everyone else is beginning the wind down to the Holiday season.
• Building Momentum: By the time January rolls around, a person observing the Nov New Year has already gained two months of momentum. This can be particularly beneficial for habits that take time to establish. For example: With the start of the “eating season” being October 31st, imagine counteracting that with nutrition and fitness goals on November 1st.  It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy holiday food, but going into it with a plan could mean less to work off in 2024 and, more importantly, feeling much better about what you’ve accomplished in 2023.
• Flexibility: Nov New Year gives individuals a two-month grace period to refine, adapt, or change their goals based on the initial experience, making it more likely they will stick to them in the long run. You will mess up. I repeat. You will mess up. So will I. But that’s OK. Treat this as a trial run. Make the necessary tweaks. If you’re struggling to keep the habits you established, scale back. Just don’t give up entirely. Some beats none!
• Psychological Boost: Achieving even small milestones before the traditional New Year can provide a psychological edge and confidence boost. Instead of saying, next year will be better, you can say, “I not only finished 2023 on an awesome note, I’m prepared to make 2024 the best year yet!”

Nov New Year Traditions:

• Reflection Night: October 31st can be spent reflecting on the past year, jotting down lessons learned, and what one hopes to achieve in the Nov New Year. If you missed this date, no big deal. Just schedule it and get it done right away! Hint: This strategy still works if you don’t start on November 1st.
• Goal Setting: On November 1st, write down key goals for the coming 14 months (till December 2024). This provides a broader window than the usual 12-month frame. Make sure your goals are measurable. Example: I will make 25 sales calls a week vs I will make more sales calls. I will work out 150 minutes a week as opposed to I will work out more.
• Momentum Mondays: Every Monday in November and December can be dedicated to checking progress, celebrating small victories, and recalibrating if necessary. Celebrating small victories is necessary. Even if you give yourself a fist pump, do it. You’ve earned it. One of the biggest reasons habits don’t take and positive behaviors are abandoned is we don’t celebrate when we do them.
• End-of-Year Review: On December 31st, a review session can help in understanding the progress made in the past two months and setting the tone for the coming year.

Testimonial:

When I started my new business, I used to scale down sales efforts in November and December. I don’t think I intentionally did this. It just happened. However, I shifted strategies in 2021 and embarked on a huge campaign starting November 1st.  It was the largest marketing campaign I ever did to date. It involved pulling multiple data sources to establish who I was targeting and thoughtful content creation with the right timing. The result…..I had signed three new clients as of January 1st, and three others began working with me later that year.

2022 ended up being a record year. How? I started working on my 2022 two months early. It provided me with the momentum to achieve high expectations in 2022. I also believe my voice was louder because I was still selling while others began winding down.

Conclusion:

In essence, “Nov New Year” is about forward-thinking, momentum-building, and capitalizing on a time of year that is often overlooked for personal growth and development. It’s about breaking the mold, stepping out of the norm, and paving a proactive path toward one’s goals. With that in mind, Happy Nov New Year! Let this be the first day working towards exceeding your goals and reaching your potential!

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