We tend to think of January as the clean slate.
New year, new habits. That’s when we join gyms, commit to routines, and tell ourselves this year will be different.
But here’s the thing: the best time to start a New Year’s resolution isn’t January.
It’s October.
Why Starting Early Works
The first time I joined a gym, it was in the middle of October — classic behavioral science timing. Low stakes, no pressure, and plenty of room to build the habit before everyone else rushed in come January.
By the time January rolled around, I didn’t have to force myself to go.
My car practically drove there on autopilot after work.
The behavior wasn’t new anymore.
It was just part of my life.
That’s how real change works.
It’s not about flipping a switch on January 1. It’s about lowering the barrier before the stakes are high — experimenting, iterating, and getting familiar with the behavior before it becomes a test of willpower.
The Science Behind “Starting Early”
There’s a reason this timing matters.
In behavioral science, timing is often the hidden variable.
When you start before it “counts,” you remove two of the biggest barriers to lasting change: pressure and identity friction.
- Lower pressure. In October, there’s no cultural expectation to succeed. No “new year, new me” hype. That means you’re more willing to experiment, fail, and try again.
- Lower friction. Habits stick more easily when they feel aligned with who you already are. If you’ve been experimenting for a couple of months, by January you’re not trying to be someone who goes to the gym, drinks less, or leads differently — you already are.
In behavioral terms, this is called identity priming — the gradual process of becoming the kind of person who does the thing you want to do.
And once identity shifts, behavior follows with far less resistance.
What This Has to Do with Leadership
It might sound like a lifestyle topic, but it’s also a leadership one.
Most leaders wait until the stakes are high — a promotion, a board presentation, a team crisis — to practice new behaviors.
That’s like waiting until January to start a resolution. It’s the hardest possible time to learn.
The best leaders prototype early.
They treat growth like a series of small, low-stakes experiments that compound over time.
From Habits to Leadership
This isn’t just about lifestyle change.
It’s the same principle I coach leaders on every day: real growth happens when you experiment before it counts.
Want to have more executive presence?
Pause before you speak. Stay silent just a little longer than feels comfortable. Let the room settle around your thinking.
Want to get out of the weeds?
Delegate the next big project you’d normally take over — and then leave it alone, even when you’d do it faster.
Want your team to finish the year strong?
Celebrate small wins this month — even the ones that seem too minor to mention.
Leadership change works like any other:
Start before it counts.
By the time it matters, you’ll already be leading differently.
This Month’s Experiment
Think of one shift — personal or professional — you’d like to feel second nature by January.
Then start now.
Start while no one’s watching.
Start before the calendar tells you to.
By January, it won’t feel like a resolution.
It’ll feel like you.
I’ve been running a small experiment of my own this fall — one that’s teaching me as much about design and reward as it is about discipline.
Next month, I’ll share what I’m learning about rituals, rewards, and why it’s rarely the thing itself we miss most.
Warmly,
Angela
