What If You Started Today, Not January 1st ?
Today is October 2nd. We are officially in Q4, and you can probably already feel it. The calendar is filling up. The holiday plans are starting. And somewhere in the back of your mind, a little voice is saying, "I'll deal with that in January."
So let me ask you something. What if you didn't wait? What if you started today?
How Many Days Does It Take to Create a Habit?
How many days does it take to create a habit? How many days does it take to see a change in yourself or your life?
You have probably heard 21 days. That number has been passed around for decades, and it turns out it isn't true. Research led by Phillippa Lally at University College London, published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, found that it takes an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic.
Sixty-six days. If you count forward from today, that lands you around December 7th. That means if you start now, you could have something new already in place before the year is even over. Not a resolution you are hoping to keep. A habit that is already working for you by the time January 1st shows up.
And you don't have to wait until day 66 to notice a difference. In my experience, change shows up in the small moments first. The pause before you say yes to one more thing. The conversation you finally have. The morning you wake up and realize you are not carrying the same weight you were carrying last month.
I'm Not Talking About Diet and Exercise
Let me be clear about what I'm not talking about. I'm not talking about diet and exercise. That billion dollar industry is coming for you hard and fast after all your holiday dinners and parties. You know the ads. You will see them on January 1st, if not sooner.
Here is something interesting, though. In that same habit study, people who picked an exercise habit took about one and a half times as long to make it stick as people who picked a new eating or drinking habit. So if your past January plans revolved around the gym and fell apart by February, it wasn't just you.
But that is not what this is about. I'm talking about your brain, your thoughts, your human operating system. The way you talk to yourself. The way you handle stress. The way you show up for the people you love and the work you care about.
Why Waiting for January Doesn't Work
January 1st feels like a clean slate. That is exactly why so many of us wait for it. The problem is that a clean slate on the calendar doesn't come with a plan or any support.
Dr. Richard Koestner, a psychology professor at McGill University, has studied resolutions for years, and the pattern is the same every time. About 25 percent of people drop out in the first week. Around 30 percent are gone after two weeks. Roughly 40 percent have quit after the first month. And by the end of the year, all but about 10 percent have given up.
Most people don't quit because they don't care. They quit because they are trying to change everything at once, on their own, in the middle of winter, right after the most exhausting season of the year.
Starting now gives you something January never will: time. Time to try something, notice what works, adjust, and keep going before the pressure of a brand new year kicks in.
The Stuff That Really Matters
If you are a woman somewhere between 35 and 55, there is a good chance you are holding a lot right now. Maybe it's a career at its busiest point. Maybe it's kids, aging parents, or both. Maybe your body is changing in ways nobody really prepared you for.
You are not imagining how heavy that feels. Cleo's 2026 Family Health Index found that women ages 40 to 54 face the highest individual risk of burnout, a stretch of life often marked by perimenopause and menopause, peak career responsibilities, and overlapping caregiving. Nearly half of women in that age group are classified as high risk for burnout.
Nearly half. If you are reading this and nodding along, you are in very good company.
This is the "other stuff" I'm talking about. To be honest, it's the stuff that really matters to you. And ultimately it affects everything you do and everyone you interact with.
Real Coaching, Not Guru Coaching
When I say coaching, I mean real coaching. Not some guru charging you $50K to spew b.s. You know the type. And at the end of that year you find yourself in debt, and you haven't moved forward toward anything in your life you wanted to impact.
Real coaching is a partnership. A trained coach helps you get clear on what you want, notice what is getting in the way, and take steps that actually fit your life. It's not about someone else's formula. It's about you.
And it works. A global study commissioned by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) found that 80 percent of people who were coached saw an improvement in their self-confidence. 73 percent saw an improvement in their relationships, 72 percent in their communication skills, and 67 percent in their work-life balance.
Confidence. Relationships. Communication. Balance. That is the human operating system. And none of it requires a single protein shake.
Why We Are So Excited About October
At FromWithin Coaching, we are excited about the new year, and we are even more excited about October.
October is the ICF Converge conference in Washington, D.C., October 28th through 30th, and our owner and founder, ICF Mentor Coach Amy Magyar, will be there. If you are going too, reach out to Amy and meet up. You can have coffee. She'll have hot chocolate.
October is also a month where things change. Leaves fall. Birds and butterflies fly south (sometimes people do too!). Change is in the air in October. So maybe take a minute and think about what you want to change, and what you want to shed. Instead of waiting until January, why not start now and plan now?
We won't be sharing high protein recipes or exercise tips. But what if we could help with the other stuff?
See What's Coming Up
Take a look at our events page. Does anything pique your curiosity? Listen to that inner knowing and join us. We are adding new events all the time, so check back often.
None of the dates or times work for you? Email us and suggest a time. We can make changes. We like change. We are coaches.
Whatever You Want, Start Now
All of this to say, whatever it is you want, start now. If the coaches at FromWithin Coaching can support you, we are here. Here are a few easy ways to take that first step today:
Check out our events. Browse what's coming up on our events page and sign up for anything that speaks to you.
Join our Women's Network community on Facebook. Connect with other women who are making changes of their own in the FromWithin Women's Network group.
Book a free discovery call with a coach. Explore your options with no pressure at fromwithincoaching.com.
Thinking about becoming a coach? Attend one of Amy's Ask Me Anything sessions about being a coach, or book a free exploratory call with her. You can't lose.
Sixty-six days from today is still this year. You have time. You just have to start.
And if you have read this far, thank you for your time, sincerely.
Megan Flanagan, FromWithin Coaching
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