If you’re anything like me, you’re probably thinking that April came around oh-so quickly.  It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were raising our glasses to the New Year and all its possibilities.  You might have even made some resolutions.  Perhaps you’ve kept them.  Perhaps you tried to keep them but got side-tracked, or maybe you didn’t actually get around to making a start.  Not everybody sees the point in making resolutions, and that’s fine too.  Whatever the case, I invite you to consider the springtime as an opportunity to start pursuing something that you want to achieve that you have been putting off.  Here’s why I believe spring is a better time than New Year to (re)set new goals:

1. Spring is the season of new beginnings and new life.  We are surrounded by natural inspiration: the bright yellow daffodils swaying in the breeze, the colourful blossom of the trees adorning parks and streets, the birds building their nests and lambs skipping about the fields.  After a long winter, taking the time to absorb the emerging life around us can reinvigorate the spirit and give us the lift we need to refocus our vision.
2. The days are getting longer.  I don’t know about you, but even though I have practised positive thinking and goal setting for about 15 years now, I still find it tougher to do so in the depths of wintery darkness.  It seems to flow more easily once the clocks go forward in the spring.
3. New Year comes at the end of one of the busiest times of the year.  Although people generally take time off work around Christmas, there is still plenty of other things that keep you busy over the season that can stop you from making time for yourself.  Even when you’re ‘meant’ to be having fun it can feel rather forced when you have social and family obligations, to the point where when New Year’s Day comes around, you’re probably feeling exhausted and therefore less likely to want to add something to your daily ‘to do’ list at the start of the year.
4. You’re in control.  You don’t have to make New Year’s resolutions just because it’s tradition.  You don’t even have to act on this post.  You can set a goal whenever you like.  I talk more about this here.
5. Spring is a time for growth.  Going with the natural flow of things is much easier than pushing against the current.  You can see things growing all around you so it is much easier to believe that you can grow too.  This is especially important if you are the kind of person to whom visual cues are significant.  But spring is a delight for all of the senses.  The smell of freshly cut grass (mowed because it has grown so much), the sound of young birds peeping in the trees, the sensation of a crisp breeze against the skin… All of these remind you that you are alive.  To me, this means there is potential to grow.

What do you like best about this time of year?  Do you find it easier to set goals in the spring than at New Year, or is it something else entirely for you?  Let me know and comment below.