Is it problematic to restart during the New Year?

Me trying to organise my messy life for the new year lol

A gentle approach to beginning again

You might be thinking “Melly, it’s already nearing the end of the month. Shouldn’t all of this be done by now?” I’ve seen a lot of conversation around whether restarting in January is actually helpful.

Many experts point out that it often relies on a “false start” mindset — one that ignores the mental, physical, and seasonal reality of winter. So it makes sense that many goals are abandoned not long after they’re set. Honestly, January has always felt abnormally anxiety-inducing to me. The second the calendar flips, it feels like I’m expected to have everything figured out — my goals, my vision board, my routines, my new me. All at once.

And instead of motivating me, that pressure does the opposite. It makes me feel stuck. Paralysed. Don’t get me wrong — I don’t think restarting is the problem. I think the pressure around restarting is.

January doesn’t need to be loud, rushed, or hyper-productive. You don’t need to reinvent yourself in the first week. You don’t even need to feel motivated yet. Lately, I’ve been reframing the idea of the “new year” altogether. I like thinking of Lunar New Year as the real energetic reset:  it takes the pressure off and reminds me that time is cyclical, not rigid. Giving myself the entire month of January to reset feels far more grounding than forcing momentum too early.

So I like to think of January as a planning phase, not a deadline.

1. Start with a physical reset

To keep, or not to keep? That is the question….

If there’s one thing I know about myself, it’s this: I cannot function in a messy space. I can’t work, I can’t think, and I definitely can’t be creative. So before goals, routines, or plans — I start with my space. Your environment is one of the most important pieces of your life. It holds your energy more than you realise.

When I declutter, I keep it simple. Everything falls into one of three categories:

• Donate

• Throw

• Reuse

A good place to begin is the six-month rule: If you haven’t used it in the last six months, it’s probably time to let it go. Donate what’s still in good condition. Reuse what you can in a new way (for example, I love repurposing boxes for storage). This isn’t about being wasteful, it’s about creating breathing room. When your space feels lighter, your mind usually follows.

Once everything feels clear and in its place, create a small ritual. I usually light an incense, open a window, and just sit for a moment. That’s when it stops feeling like cleaning and starts feeling like a reset.

2. Look back before moving forward

As Søren Kierkegaard said, “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards” Before setting new intentions, I like to audit my life, gently. Not harshly. Not critically. Just honestly.

Me and Mr. Kierkegaard having a life discussion haha

Imagine your past year was a movie. How did it start? What happened in the middle? How did it end?

Some questions to sit with:

• What did I actually follow through on?

• What am I proud of — both big and small?

• What felt easier than I expected? What felt harder?

• What drained me? What felt light and nourishing?

• What did I quietly outgrow?

• What do I want to carry forward?

• What am I ready to leave behind?

This isn’t about judging yourself for what you did or didn’t do. It’s about closure. And just as importantly, it’s about acknowledging what you did accomplish — even if it doesn’t look the way you thought it would.

3. Set intentions, not pressure

Only after reflecting does it make sense to look ahead. Instead of rigid goals, I focus on intentions — direction rather than checklists. I like to break them into a few key areas:

• Physical

• Mental

• Spiritual

• Career / Business

• Relationships

I usually set two to three intentions per category. More than that starts to feel like noise.

For example, under physical:

• Daily movement (yoga, walking, strength training or Pilates)

• Playing atleast one sport per month

• Maintaining a balanced, protein-rich rich and nourishing diet

You can be as specific as you want, but the goal isn’t to overwhelm yourself. It’s to support yourself.

4. Visualise how you want the year to feel

Before turning intentions into plans, I visualise the year.

I prefer creating a physical moodboard: printing, cutting, and gluing. There’s something about doing it by hand that feels more intentional and connected than doing it digitally. Focus on feeling rather than achievement. Colours, textures, places, moments. Align it with the intentions you’ve written down. Make it your vibe. Make it feel like you.

Visual manifestation is a powerful subconscious tool.

Bonus tip: make it your phone wallpaper (home screen — maybe not lock screen… evil eye protection lol).

5. Decide what comes in — and what stays out

From there, I make two lists:

• 10 habits to bring in

• 10 habits to leave behind

This is where everything becomes practical. It’s a quiet but powerful way of choosing what actually supports the life you want and releasing what no longer does.

6. Build gentle structure

Finally, I create a rhythm that holds my life:

• A morning routine (make the bed, skincare, coffee + journaling, meditation, a short walk)

• A night routine

• A weekly reset routine

Then I time-block my week in a way that reflects how I actually live and work that align with my overall goals and habits — with space for rest.

Here’s what I usually start with:

Add time slots to habits that will help you realise your goals. Colour code as you wish! Structure isn’t meant to box you in. It’s meant to steady you. Treat it like a flexible plan, you don’t have to follow it strictly everyday, but it helps you keep accountable and in track of reaching your overall goals.

The Takeaway

Starting the year slowly is a way of moving forward, intentionally, genuinely, surely with clarity instead of urgency. You get to sit with your thoughts and really make sure that is what you want.

This 2026 we are avoiding being exhausted by January haha

So no: restarting during the New Year isn’t problematic. Forcing yourself to restart in a way that doesn’t feel like you is. Do what feels best for you, stop listening to the noise online. This is simply how I personally do it, if it works for you then that makes me very happy, if it doesn't that is also okay!

Sometimes a reset is just clearing space, reflecting honestly, and choosing to move forward a little more intentionally. And honestly, that’s enough.

A small note before you go

If you’re still here, thank you for reading. I also wanted to share a little something I’ve been working on, a new comeback vlog will be out before the month ends. I’ll be trying to post at least once a month as I gently make my way back to YouTube 🤍