51: January Goals are B.S: Here's Why

Let me make this very clear, January goals are bullshit. Yes, it is the absolute worst time to set new goals for your content creator business. I'm well aware this is a hot take, but I have a few reasons why I think so that I want to share with you.

So in today's episode I am going to break down why January is not the time for you to plan or hit your content creator goals and what's the more realistic approach where you will actually hit your 2025 content creator goals. 

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Transcript

Laura Haley: [00:00:00] What is up my favorite travel creators? Welcome back or welcome to the show. I'm Laura. I'm a content developer for travel creators and today I'm going to tell you why it's absolutely the worst time of year. And I know I kind of sound like a grinch but let me explain.

 Yeah, I said it. It is the worst time of year. And I know that I'm not a total Grinch. It might seem like it, but I'm not. But it is actually the worst time of year for tracking people down, crossing things off your list. By the time you're listening to this, Happy New Year.

Happy, Happy New Year. You did it. You got through one more year. One more sun rotation. How freaking cool is that? But this also does not mean we're going to hit the ground running with our goals because that is setting you up for unrealistic expectations. And if there are people in your feed who are telling you that January 1st is the day that you change your life I want you to really think critically if that is good advice Because i'm here to [00:01:00] tell you that if you start January 1, you are setting yourself up for failure

I love talking about this topic, but what I don't love is my inbox flooded with crap. Is yours flooded with crap? Mine is currently flooded with crap. I'm an information overload. There's too much going on. There's too many goal tracking habit sheets coming my way, and I have simply had enough.

Let me make this very clear. January goals are bullshit. Yes, it is the absolute worst time to set new goals for your creator business. I'm well aware this is a hot take, but I have a few reasons why I think so that I want to share with you. This is one of the times of year that we know.

There is travel involved. Very few people are, as you're listening to this, we've just come out of new year, okay? Very few people have stayed at home during this holiday season. Very few people experience this holiday season without having to physically move locations or move their bodies to see family and friends.

[00:02:00] And that might be a choice, and that is a choice we typically enjoy to make. However, it's true. And I know that you are a travel creator. So you're probably thinking, I'm used to it. I'm used to moving around. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. I see you. I know this. I do the same too. But when it seems like Everybody else in the world is taking time off.

Peer pressure wins. All those plans you had to do the thing or conquer that goal or write out your next goals because you know if you handwrite your goals you're 42 percent more likely to actually achieve them. All that goes out the window because when we see our peers, family, friends relaxing, damn, we just want to freaking relax too.

Maybe we'll actually hit our reading goal. maybe we'll actually leave our phone in our bedroom and go for a walk.

And then, there's that little break that we've just experienced between the holidays. Where I, I personally think that it is a crime that people work during that week, which is another privileged hot take, I do understand this. But, [00:03:00] here's the reality, you have just spent holidays, with family and friends, and probably multiple, Families and multiple friends.

You're drained. You are drained. You've probably eaten too much. Also guilty. The last thing you want to do is think about work. The last thing you want to do is think about putting on pants that have a real button. I know. In the world, you've just come out of all of these stressful situations, coming out of talking to family members that, you know, you're like, I'm just here because I have to be because it'll make my mom or my grandma happy and I don't really want to talk to you.

You've just come out of these stressful situations, your travel plans, just, it's a lot. The holidays are a frickin lot. It might be holly jolly, but we don't really talk about often how it can be overwhelming. And all of a sudden now, now that we're back to January, the world is telling you that right now is when you're supposed to set goals to be successful.

How about no? That doesn't really work with headspace. You've absolutely eaten way too much. You've probably not moved your body like you should [00:04:00] have. And now, the world is expecting me to get on it. I think that that is baloney. How does, no, that's not setting you up to be successful. There is nothing that makes me more anxious than being in a relaxing out of office state and the little thoughts creep in where I'm thinking about all the things I want to do or feel like I have to.

It's horrible. I'm sitting there, I just want to read my book, be with my people, enjoy my things, and the thoughts come in about My to do list or what I want to accomplish. And you might be thinking, how about after you get back home and once you're settled in, maybe that's a good time to plan and execute all your new routines.

First of all, funny, funny. You're a travel creator. You don't know what settled in means. You don't know that. But also, wrong. Anyone who wants you to be successful, aka me, will tell you that it is a horrendous idea to start in [00:05:00] January with your new goals. This is me telling you it's a horrendous idea. 

you know the day after you get back from a trip when you're supposed to be working or have planned to get shit done, whether it's in your work or in your personal life, but you just can't get yourself to do it. It's the feeling or the pit in your stomach when you feel like, oh my gosh, I just can't.

Whether you're tired, you're just not up for it, you are in the post trip slump. And, In recent months, I have been leaning into this slump. I know that it happens and I set myself up to be successful because I know the slump is going to happen no matter what. I let it happen. I give myself the day to do absolutely nothing.

I don't even make myself unpack. I just make myself survive and get myself ready for the following day. I know that I need the time and space to bounce back better the next few days, so I need that day as a buffer. I've also found that when I don't take these days, I do really shitty work. And then the following day, I'm trying to play, [00:06:00] catch up, and I'm already off on the wrong.

Foot. Does this happen to you too? My recommendation is to take the day if you can. Don't ignore the space lean into the slump. Pro tip here. One of my favorite things to do is tell my clients that I'm gone longer than I actually am. Then I know I can show up better for them and myself. So if I'm gone from like the 10th to the 17th, I'll say I'm gone the 9th through the 18th and then Expectations are clear.

Nobody is expecting me to bounce back on that day I'm back because I've already been back. I've already did the laundry. We're good. We're getting there. So because it's likely that you've traveled during this holiday time Once you get back home, whatever that is, and again, you might not even have a home.

I get it I currently do not. Now is not the time to be starting new routines if you want to take them seriously I want you to give yourself grace You during this period. The world is back to work [00:07:00] and your email has just blown up and everything feels urgent and there is zero protein in your refrigerator, there are piles of laundry, there might even be inches of snow outside.

Now is not the time to start the new routines. I'm a huge believer that The best time to start was 20 years ago, and the second best time to start is now. I love that. But I am carefully selecting my now based on the life events I am experiencing. That doesn't mean I'm pushing anything off. It means I'm allowing myself the space to be successful because I know how I operate and I know that you know too.

It's not because I'm procrastinating my goals, but it's because I want long term success. I am encouraging you to set goals and do the whole SMART goal thing and get the whiteboard and get the planner and get the pens. Be specific. Write them down by hand. But please, God, just wait until February 1st.

That gives you time to see what the heck the new year is about. and dream big because [00:08:00] I know that you have goals to clean up systems, set up systems, organize your content, clean up your email, whatever, and you're not gonna freaking get that done between December 26th and January 1st. So let yourself have January to clean it up.

And in February, we hit the ground running because now we have the systems in place to do so and we're not cramming to make those systems successful between the end of December and beginning of a month. That's just insane. When we're also Supposed to be relaxing and be happy and be eating and drinking whatever we want.

It's just unrealistic. Okay, that's my rant. That's my rant on why I think January goals are bullshit. And, um, as the kids say, thank you for coming to my TED talk, but in this case, I'm The pod. I appreciate you. And I also want to leave you with this note, too, if you're not completely sold on my rant. 80 percent of people ditch their New Year's resolutions by February.

When you think about it, it makes complete sense. Of course they [00:09:00] do. Because they have set themselves up to be unsuccessful. And it's probably because they implemented those goals in January. Well, it's time to kick some February booty, my friends. February, we're coming for you. And no, February, We're not procrastinating.

We're setting ourselves up for long term success. Let me know on instagram if you think january goals are bullshit now. Let me know what you think. I would love To talk about this with you I'm wishing you the happiest of creating the happiest new year and the happiest renew year on february 1st I will see you next week