Why spring is a better time to start the new year.
By Leslie K. Hughes
NYE is great and all, but is the dead of winter really the best time to try and start fresh with goals, dreams, ideas, etc?
I’ve always been a NYE girlie. I love a good (and rare) over-the-top celebration.
But I’ve never really found anything about the turning of a new calendar year to do much for my life in the grander scheme of things.
Maybe it’s because, in my mind, winter is the season for hibernating, cocooning, relaxing, and getting cozy (save for my NYE celebration, lol).
For me, this frigid season does not equate to freshness & newness, but rather to seeking comfort.
This is less true now that I live in LA (though hibernating is definitely still a thing here). But growing up in Montana, there was nothing about waking up on January 1 to below-freezing temperatures that really gave me the urge to make this year “the best year yet.”
Maybe it’s also because I don’t think you need to wait for a specific calendar date to tell you when to start a new hobby or improve your health or whatever you want to call into your life.
You can (and should) do this whenever you want.
So, I’ve decided that I’m making springtime the start of my new year. Because it seems that this is the time when I feel rejuvenated & inspired.
Other things in life align with this, too:
- Spring cleaning. The purge has been real this year – ridding of tired clothes, reorganizing my home to suit spring me. Even just the simple act of opening the windows to let in fresh air. It all makes me feel like a new person. And these are things we typically do in the spring (hence the term “spring cleaning”).
- Nature refresh. Spring is the season when nature comes alive. It sheds its winter skin and starts anew with fresh blooms. I like to think we are akin to nature in this way.
- “Spring” meaning. The word “spring” means renewal, growth, development. I like to apply this definition to my life.
- Feeling the sun. There’s a big difference between seeing the sun and feeling the sun. Seeing it is great (shoutout Huberman), but feeling that heat on your skin is so much better. It breathes life into the body. Though I live in southern California, we don’t feel much of the sun in the winter. Spring is when that heat really kicks in, and I love it.
- The days get longer. Speaking of the sun … spring equinox brings with it longer days and that means more daylight to feel motivated and inspired. If you’re anything like me, winter’s 5 pm sunsets are ideal for early cozy nights with my book. Spring’s later sunsets push me to explore new things in myself and the world.
- Tax season. I love it when my taxes are done. It feels like I get to see a completed, comprehensive view of how my work went last year and evaluate where I want to be for the next year. (Yes, I understand that by the time taxes are done, Q1 is done too, but my mind works differently.)
The best part about all of this new year talk is that you get to choose when your new year begins. It can even happen multiple times a year if you want.
You make the rules.
For me, spring feels right so that’s why I’m making spring my new new year. What feels right for you?
Happy New Year everyone!
