I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. Here’s what I do instead.

Winter is the time Nature calls us to rest, slow down, listen in, and incubate. This is the time when our bodies and lives get a chance to reset and find balance. It’s like a good night’s sleep for your life. In the cycle of the seasons, Spring is the time for bursting forth with new life - new projects, new habits. To me, starting a bunch of new things (especially intense physical exercise or a demanding project) in early January is like waking yourself up at 2am every day in order to accomplish your goals. You definitely might get things done, but what are you losing?

When I ran a non-profit, one of the hardest things about the job was that December and January were the busiest times in the organization. All non-profits in the U.S. spend enormous energy fundraising at the end of the year, and in addition, our organization always had a new cohort of Volunteers starting in January. It was so intense that the busiest time at work was also the busiest time at home (hello Christmas), right when my body was asking for the most rest. For years, it felt like I was doing the seasonal equivalent of the night shift: expending the most energy just when my body was asking for the deepest rest. (Did you know about all the physical and mental health problems associated with working the night shift? A lot of studies show that our minds and bodies cannot thrive when we fight our biological rhythms.)

When I started learning about Chinese medicine 5-phase theory a few years ago, perhaps the biggest revelation was the perspective on Winter, which is associated with the Water element. Water governs the deepest and most yin parts of the body: the endocrine system, bone marrow, and DNA. It is associated with wisdom and a connection to the ancestors. It’s the job of all the other elements (and corresponding body systems) to protect the Water element because it is responsible for longevity and is the energy reserve from which all other body systems draw. Think of the Water element like an aquifer. It can provide enormous amounts of energy in the form of drinking water - if it gets the chance to be refilled. In the cycle of the seasons, Winter is the time when our bodies get a chance to refill our aquifers for the rest of the year.

Being really intentional about how I use my energy this time of year has been one of the most positive practices I have created for myself. I feel more grounded in myself. I can hear my inner voice more clearly. I start out the year feeling intentional and centered instead of reactive and frantic. Letting my body rest when I need it (as much as possible given, you know, life) gives me the energy to take on the rest of the year.

What would happen if, instead of pushing yourself hard in the new year, you challenged yourself to listen to what your body is asking for? It definitely might be more exercise, a new habit, or a big project. If that’s what your body is asking for, do it, definitely. But what if it’s rest? Can you challenge yourself to sleep an hour more? To take an afternoon nap?

What might become possible if January (and Winter more generally) were not a time to clamor and run but instead a time to pause, sharpen your saw, and let your body refill its reserves?