Episode 65 - Why I Don't Start My Business Goals on January 1st (And Why You Shouldn't Either)
Welcome to Episode 65 of the Time for Living Podcast!
TRANSCRIPT
show notes
Everywhere you look, people are talking about starting strong on January 1st. But here's what I've discovered after years of building my business as a mom: the most successful mom entrepreneurs I know don't start on January 1st. They start strategically when routine returns—and that changes everything.
If you're a mom entrepreneur who's been feeling guilty about not having your January 1st plan ready, or anxious that you're already behind before the year even starts, this episode is your permission slip. Because when you're building a business around family life, January 1st isn't your fresh start—it's still precious family time. And trying to force business momentum when your kids are home and routine hasn't returned? That's not strategy. That's exhaustio
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why starting on January 1st when your kids are still home actually sets you up to feel behind instead of building real momentum
The strategic reason successful mom entrepreneurs wait until January 5th (when routine returns) to start their business habits
How to enjoy the last days of the holidays guilt-free without feeling like you're failing at your business goals
The one decision you need to make between now and January 5th that will set up your entire first quarter
Why choosing one 15-minute habit on January 5th is more powerful than ten goals on January 1st
How to shift from "I'm already behind" to "I'm being strategic" so you start from a place of power, not deficit
REady to take action
Between now and January 5th, think about your one thing—the one habit you'll start when routine returns. And if you need help finding where you even have 15 minutes in your schedule, grab my free Hidden Time Finder at timeforliving.co/timefinder t'll help you identify exactly where you have pockets of time you didn't even realize were there.
Let’s Connect:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timeforlivingco/
• Email: hello@timeforliving.co
Final Thought:
You're not behind. You're being strategic. And that's the mark of a smart entrepreneur.
TRANSCRIPT - Why I Don't Start My Business Goals on January 1st (And Why You Shouldn't Either)
INTRODUCTION
Hey there, welcome to Time For Living. I'm Lucy, and I need to tell you something that might surprise you.
The most successful mom entrepreneurs I know don't start on January 1st.
I know. That probably goes against everything you're seeing right now. Everywhere you look, it's "New Year, New You" and "Start Strong in 2026" and all these people posting about their massive goals and their January 1st morning routines.
And if you're listening to this on December 30th, you might be feeling that pressure. Like you should have it all figured out by January 1st. Like you should be ready to hit the ground running.
But here's what I've discovered after years of trying to do exactly that: starting on January 1st when you're a mom entrepreneur building a business around family life? It's actually a setup for feeling behind.
And today I want to give you permission to do something different. Something strategic. Something that actually works.
I want to give you permission to wait until January 5th.
MY JANUARY 1ST DISASTER
Let me tell you about January 1st, 2023. Because maybe you'll see yourself in this story.
I woke up on January 1st so ready. I had my goals written down. I had my vision board. I had my morning routine all planned out. I was going to meditate, journal, work out, and get two hours of focused business time before my kiddo even woke up.
I set my alarm for 5:30am.
Here's what actually happened: I woke up exhausted because we'd stayed up late on New Year's Eve. Everyone was still on holiday schedule, so they woke up early and came looking for me. My partner was tired too, so everyone was kind of off.
And I remember sitting there at 8am, not having done any of the things on my list, feeling like I'd already failed. On January 1st. Day one of the year, and I was already behind.
But here's the thing I didn't understand then: I hadn't failed. I'd just started at the wrong time.
My kiddo was still home. We were still in holiday mode. The house still had that post-Christmas energy. Nobody's routine had clicked back in yet. And I was trying to build business momentum in the middle of that.
Of course it didn't work.
And then I spent the next few days feeling guilty. Guilty that I wasn't working on my business because I was with my family. Guilty that I wasn't fully present with my family because I was thinking about my business. Just stuck in this exhausting in-between.
Sound familiar?
THE LIE WE'VE BEEN TOLD
Here's the lie we've all been sold: January 1st is the magic fresh start day.
The calendar flips, and somehow you're supposed to become a different person. More disciplined. More focused. More capable of doing all the things.
But when you're a mom entrepreneur, January 1st isn't a fresh start for your business. It's still precious time with your family.
Your kids are still home. You're still in that beautiful end-of-holiday rhythm. Maybe you're doing puzzles together, or having slow mornings, or finally watching that movie you've been meaning to see as a family.
That time matters. That time is valuable. That time is exactly where you should be.
But somewhere along the way, we started believing that if we're not "starting strong" on January 1st, we're failing. That if we're choosing family time over business momentum, we're not serious entrepreneurs.
And that's just not true.
There's nothing magic about January 1st for building business momentum when your actual routine hasn't changed at all.
The conditions that make habits stick—predictable time blocks, consistent rhythms, mental space—those don't exist yet. Your environment is still in holiday mode. And trying to force a business fresh start in that environment? It's not strategic. It's just exhausting.
And here's what I've noticed: when I talk to mom entrepreneurs who are actually building successful businesses—the ones who are consistently showing up, making progress, not burning out—most of them didn't sacrifice those last precious days of family time to "start strong" on January 1st.
They enjoyed their families guilt-free. And then they started strategically when their routine came back.
For most of us, that's January 5th. That's when kids go back to school. That's when you get your time blocks back. That's when the conditions actually support momentum.
That's your real fresh start.
And once I understood that, everything changed. I stopped feeling guilty for being fully present with my family during those last days of break. And I stopped feeling behind when I started building business momentum on January 5th instead.
THE PERMISSION YOU NEED
So here's what I want to give you today, especially if you're listening to this on December 30th or 31st: permission.
Permission to not have it all figured out by January 1st.
Permission to actually enjoy the last few days of the holidays without feeling guilty that you're not "starting strong."
Permission to be fully present with your family during these last days of break without thinking about your business goals.
Because here's what I've learned: those few days between December 26th and January 4th? They matter.
This is time with your kids when they're home. Time with your family when everyone's a little more relaxed. Time to actually rest and reset before the chaos of routine kicks back in.
And if you spend that time feeling guilty that you should be working, or feeling anxious that you haven't started your goals yet, you miss it. You miss the actual magic of this season.
So I want you to hear this: You are not behind.
Not starting on January 1st doesn't mean you're lazy. It doesn't mean you're not serious about your business. It doesn't mean you're going to fail.
It means you're being strategic.
It means you understand that building a business as a mom works differently. It means you're choosing to start when you can actually build momentum, not when the calendar tells you to.
And honestly? That's the mark of a smart entrepreneur.
WHY JANUARY 5TH IS ACTUALLY STRATEGIC
Let me explain why waiting until January 5th isn't procrastination—it's strategy.
First: You're starting with routine, not against it.
When you try to start a new habit on January 1st when your kids are home, you're fighting against your environment. You don't have your normal time blocks. Your schedule is unpredictable. Everyone's rhythms are off.
But when you wait until January 5th, routine is back. You know exactly when you have time. You can predict your day. You can build a habit that actually sticks because it fits into your real life, not your holiday life.
Second: You're starting with energy, not exhaustion.
Let's be honest about how you feel on January 1st. You're probably tired from the holidays. You've been hosting or traveling. You've been managing family dynamics. You've been doing all the things.
Starting a new business habit when you're running on empty? That's setting yourself up to quit by January 7th.
But when you give yourself those few days to rest, to recharge, to actually enjoy the end of the holidays, you start on January 5th with actual energy. With capacity. With the mental space to show up.
Third: You're starting with clarity, not pressure.
January 1st comes with so much pressure. Everyone's posting their goals. Everyone's "starting strong." Everyone's doing all the things.
And in that noise, it's really hard to get clear on what YOU actually want to build. What YOUR one priority is. What YOUR business actually needs right now.
But when you give yourself December 30th through January 4th to think—not to execute, just to think—you can get really clear on your one thing. On what you're actually committing to.
So by January 5th, you're not just randomly starting something. You're starting the right thing.
WHAT THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MOM ENTREPRENEURS DO DIFFERENTLY
You know what I've noticed about the mom entrepreneurs I know who are actually successful? Who are building real businesses without burning out?
They don't try to do everything on January 1st. They pick one thing and start it when routine returns.
Not ten goals. Not a complete life overhaul. One thing.
One habit they can protect even on their hardest days. One action they can take in 15 minutes or less. One commitment they can actually keep.
And they don't start it when their kids are home and chaos is high. They start it when routine comes back and they can actually build momentum.
That's the difference.
They're not more disciplined than you. They're not more motivated. They just understand that timing matters. That environment matters. That starting strategically beats starting early every single time.
So if you've been feeling like you're already behind because you don't have your plan ready, because you haven't started yet, because January 1st is two days away and you're not prepared—let me tell you what you're actually doing:
You're being smart.
You're waiting to start when you can actually succeed. And that's not failure. That's strategy.
HERE'S WHAT TO DO BETWEEN NOW AND JANUARY 5TH
Okay, so if you're not starting on January 1st, what should you do with these next few days?
First: Actually enjoy them.
I mean it. Be present with your family. Sleep in if you can. Watch movies with your kids. Don't feel guilty about not working on your business. This is the last bit of unstructured time before routine kicks back in. Soak it in.
You're not wasting time. You're resting so you can start strong when it actually matters.
Second: Think about your one thing.
Notice I didn't say plan everything. I said think about your one thing.
If you could only commit to one habit for the next 12 weeks—one action you could take in 15 minutes or less, even on your hardest days—what would it be?
Not ten things. One thing.
Maybe it's reaching out to one potential client every day. Maybe it's showing up on Instagram stories three times a week. Maybe it's writing for 15 minutes every morning. Maybe it's working on your offer before anyone else wakes up.
What's the one thing that, if you did it consistently, would actually move your business forward?
Just think about it. You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to plan every detail. Just get clear on what your one thing might be.
Third: Notice when you actually have time on January 5th.
Once routine comes back, when do you actually have 15 minutes? Is it before the kids wake up? During school hours? After bedtime?
You don't have to schedule everything. Just notice: when is your window?
That's it. That's all you need to do between now and January 5th.
Enjoy your family. Think about your one thing. Notice when you have time.
Then on January 5th, you start.
WHAT JANUARY 5TH ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE
So let's talk about what happens on January 5th. Because this isn't about some massive morning routine or complete life transformation.
January 5th is simple: You do your one thing.
That's it.
Maybe you wake up, the kids go to school, and you sit down with your coffee and spend 15 minutes reaching out to potential clients.
Or maybe you set your alarm 15 minutes early, and before anyone else is awake, you write for 15 minutes.
Or maybe after bedtime, you spend 15 minutes working on your offer.
Fifteen minutes. One action. That's your January 5th.
And then you do it again on January 6th. And again on January 7th.
Not because you're trying to prove something. Not because you're behind and need to catch up. But because you're building something real. Something sustainable. Something that actually works with your life as a mom entrepreneur.
Here's what January 5th is NOT:
It's not waking up at 5am with a two-hour morning routine. It's not overhauling your entire life. It's not trying to do twelve things at once.
It's just showing up for your one thing. For 15 minutes.
That's how you build a business as a mom. That's how you create momentum. That's how you actually make progress without burning out.
And the beautiful thing? When you start on January 5th instead of January 1st, you're not starting from exhaustion. You're starting from strategy.
THE STORY YOU TELL YOURSELF MATTERS
Here's the mindset shift I need you to make, especially if you're someone who tends to feel behind:
Not starting on January 1st doesn't mean you're behind. It means you're starting at the right time.
The story you tell yourself about this matters so much.
If you tell yourself, "Everyone else started on January 1st and I'm already behind," you're starting from a deficit. You're already feeling like you're chasing. And that makes it so much harder to show up.
But if you tell yourself, "I'm starting strategically on January 5th when I can actually build momentum," you're starting from a place of power. You're choosing this. You're being intentional.
Same action. Completely different energy.
So between now and January 5th, pay attention to the story you're telling yourself.
When you see people posting about their January 1st goals, you don't have to feel behind. You can think, "Good for them. I'm starting when routine comes back."
When you feel guilty for not working on your business on January 2nd, you can remind yourself, "I'm resting strategically so I can start strong."
When you wonder if you should be doing more, you can tell yourself, "I'm being smart about timing."
The story you tell yourself shapes everything.
And if you can shift from "I'm behind" to "I'm being strategic," everything changes.
YOUR ONE DECISION
Okay, so here's what I want you to walk away from this episode with: one decision.
Between now and January 5th, make one decision: What's your one thing?
What's the one habit you're going to start on January 5th when routine comes back?
Not your ten goals. Not your vision board. Not your entire 2026 plan.
Just your one thing. The habit you can do in 15 minutes or less. The action you can take even on your hardest days.
Get clear on that. And then on January 5th, just do it.
That's how you actually build a business as a mom entrepreneur. Not by doing everything on January 1st. By doing one thing consistently starting when routine returns.
And here's what I know from doing this myself and from watching other mom entrepreneurs do it: that one thing? It changes everything.
Not because it's big. Not because it's flashy. But because it's consistent. Because it's protected. Because it actually fits into your real life.
So make your one decision.
That's how mom entrepreneurs actually build sustainable businesses. That's what the most successful ones I know do differently.
And as you're getting clear on your one thing, I'm going to be sharing more about the bigger system that holds everything together in January. But for now, just focus on your one thing.
I'm Lucy, this is Time For Living, and I'll speak to you next Tuesday. Let's make 2026 the year you actually build a thriving business—starting on January 5th, not January 1st.