Don’t Wait for January
Every year, it’s the same routine: January 1st rolls around, and we all make these bold, shiny promises to ourselves. This is the year. New habits. New routines. New me.
And then by February? Most of those grand declarations are already gathering dust.
But here’s the thing nobody tells you:
If you start now—before the end of the year—you’re not waiting on willpower, motivation, or the energy of a fresh calendar. You’re already moving. You’re already proving to yourself that you can. You've already got momentum behind you.
And honestly? The smallest deed you do today carries more weight than the biggest resolution you plan for tomorrow.
Why Small Beats Big Every Time
Big changes feel inspiring in theory… and totally overwhelming in practice. That’s why we freeze. We look at the whole picture, feel the weight of it, and then quietly avoid it.
But one small deed? That’s doable.
One walk around the block.
One drawer decluttered.
One night choosing water instead of pop.
Those tiny choices are what actually shift things—not the annual “I’m reinventing myself” speech that lasts a week.
And when you do that tiny thing once, it changes the story in your head. You suddenly realize, “Wait… I can do this.” A single action is the seed that grows into momentum. By the time January shows up, you’re not beginning from scratch—you’re continuing something you already started.
Why “Once” Is Enough (for Now)
Doing something once won’t transform your whole life. But it does something just as important: it flips your inner dialogue.
• Rinsing one plate makes the kitchen feel less like a monster.
• Writing one messy paragraph makes the blog feel possible.
• Taking one walk proves your legs still remember how to walk.
Doing something once is enough to create the shift. Instead of, “I need to get my act together,” it becomes, “Okay, I can take one step.”
It’s a surprisingly powerful mental reset.
Deeds Stick, Intentions Fade
Intentions are lovely, but they evaporate fast. They sound good in our heads but don’t leave any trace in real life.
Deeds—even small ones—leave fingerprints.
I’ve seen this in caregiving, in grief, in the little everyday things. Showing up for one small moment matters far more than dreaming up some grand gesture you never actually do. And nowhere is this more obvious than on January 1st.
We love our sweeping resolutions: new routines, healthier habits, organized homes, better mornings. And then they collapse under their own weight.
Not because the goal is wrong—just because we tried to leap instead of step.
But if you ease in now, with one small action, January won’t feel like a starting line. It’ll feel like a continuation.
Permission to Keep It Small
So here’s my reminder to myself (and maybe to you, too): you don’t have to overhaul your entire life by next Tuesday. Small is allowed. Small works. Small builds.
Sometimes the win is simply trying it once.
Maybe once leads to twice. Maybe it doesn’t and you try something different. Either way, you’re further ahead than if you stayed stuck in the planning stage.
Just Once
What’s the thing you’ve been overthinking?
The thing you keep planning and re-planning until it feels too big, too heavy, too much?
Try it once.
Just once.
And if you want a “just once” idea to try today?
Hop over to my website. Pick one tiny thing—one oil or supplement, one simple swap, one little step toward feeling better.
Nothing big. Nothing overwhelming.
Just one small shift you can actually feel good about.
And if you do end up ordering anything, it goes through my site so I get the credit, which helps me keep sharing all of this stuff with you. Oh, and use the coupon code SHAREYL at checkout if this is the first time you're ordering from Young Living - I love helping you save your hard-earned dollars!
It might surprise you how much lighter it feels on the other side of that very first step.
If you’ve made it to the bottom of this post, I’m guessing something here resonated—whether it’s navigating grief and growth, diving into natural wellness, or just trying to live a more intentional life in a fast-paced world.
This space is where I share what I’m learning (and unlearning), the tools that are helping me along the way, and the little things that bring joy, healing, and clarity—even on the hard days.
This space is where I share what I’m learning (and unlearning), the tools that are helping me along the way, and the little things that bring joy, healing, and clarity—even on the hard days.
Want in?
You’re invited to join my newsletter, Finding What Works—a weekly-ish note from me with practical wellness tips, nostalgic nods for GenX souls, and honest reflections from someone who’s still figuring it all out (but loves sharing the good stuff along the way).
This isn’t about perfection or pressure. It’s about finding what supports us, what lights us up, and what brings us back to ourselves—together.
You’re invited to join my newsletter, Finding What Works—a weekly-ish note from me with practical wellness tips, nostalgic nods for GenX souls, and honest reflections from someone who’s still figuring it all out (but loves sharing the good stuff along the way).
This isn’t about perfection or pressure. It’s about finding what supports us, what lights us up, and what brings us back to ourselves—together.
Click here to subscribe and come along for the ride. I’d love to have you in my corner.
Have a question or something to share?
✨ My blog exists because I know what it feels like to keep everything jumbled in your head — like a messy pile of clothes you can’t sort through.
Writing it all down brings clarity, calm, and sometimes even healing answers I didn’t know I was looking for.
Honestly, that’s why I keep showing up to write — it helps me make sense of things.
Even if you have no intentions of ever publishing your work, I highly recommend writing stuff down. It doesn't have to be a literary masterpiece or even full, grammatically correct sentences... just dump those random thoughts onto paper... you'll see what I mean.
*This blog centers the GenX experience, simply because that’s the lens I live through—but anyone looking for connection, natural wellness, grief support, or a little real-talk in this messy stage of life is more than welcome.
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