📅 Stop Planning Your Whole Year – Here’s What I’ve Learned
Okay, so I used to be one of those people who’d plan the entire year in January. Big goals, long lists, super ambitious, right? Sound familiar? Yeah, it didn’t work.
Here’s what I realized (and I’m still learning this, to be honest):
When you plan for the whole year, you only end up doing stuff in January (when you’re all hyped) or in December (when you’re all panicking). The middle of the year? It’s like a big, blurry gap.
Turns out, there’s actual research on this. Something called the "End-of-Period Effect." Basically, we get super active at the start or the end of a time period (like a school semester or work quarter) but go into “meh mode” in the middle. If you set a whole year as your time frame, guess when you actually work? The start and the end.
What I’m Trying Instead
Instead of doing a 12-month "master plan," I’m breaking things into 3-month chunks. Smaller deadlines = less time to slack off. I’m finding it easier to stay consistent because the finish line always feels closer. It’s kinda like how students suddenly "wake up" when exams are 2 weeks away. Short deadlines trigger that same energy.
Some Proof (Yep, It’s Real) 📚
There’s this study by Dai, Milkman, and Riis (2014) that says people feel super motivated after "fresh start" moments — like New Year’s or the start of a month. But after a few weeks, that hype dies. Smaller, fresh starts (like the start of a new quarter or month) keep you in that "fresh start" zone longer.
Another idea called the "Goal Gradient Hypothesis" explains why people hustle when they feel close to the finish line. So, shorter goals = feeling close to the finish line = more consistent effort.
My Takeaway
Don’t plan the whole year. Plan for 3 months. Then another 3. Then another. I’m still figuring this out myself, but it already feels way better than my old “I’ll do it later” approach.
So yeah!
Okay, so I used to be one of those people who’d plan the entire year in January. Big goals, long lists, super ambitious, right? Sound familiar? Yeah, it didn’t work.
Here’s what I realized (and I’m still learning this, to be honest):
When you plan for the whole year, you only end up doing stuff in January (when you’re all hyped) or in December (when you’re all panicking). The middle of the year? It’s like a big, blurry gap.
Turns out, there’s actual research on this. Something called the "End-of-Period Effect." Basically, we get super active at the start or the end of a time period (like a school semester or work quarter) but go into “meh mode” in the middle. If you set a whole year as your time frame, guess when you actually work? The start and the end.
What I’m Trying Instead
Instead of doing a 12-month "master plan," I’m breaking things into 3-month chunks. Smaller deadlines = less time to slack off. I’m finding it easier to stay consistent because the finish line always feels closer. It’s kinda like how students suddenly "wake up" when exams are 2 weeks away. Short deadlines trigger that same energy.
Some Proof (Yep, It’s Real) 📚
There’s this study by Dai, Milkman, and Riis (2014) that says people feel super motivated after "fresh start" moments — like New Year’s or the start of a month. But after a few weeks, that hype dies. Smaller, fresh starts (like the start of a new quarter or month) keep you in that "fresh start" zone longer.
Another idea called the "Goal Gradient Hypothesis" explains why people hustle when they feel close to the finish line. So, shorter goals = feeling close to the finish line = more consistent effort.
My Takeaway
Don’t plan the whole year. Plan for 3 months. Then another 3. Then another. I’m still figuring this out myself, but it already feels way better than my old “I’ll do it later” approach.
So yeah!