Hey Reader

I love the feeling of a fresh start.

Whether it's cracking into a new notebook, prepping for a new quarter, or even just starting a new week, these "fresh start" moments always make me feel like I've got a clean slate.

One of the reasons I love them so much though is they signify a time for potential change.

When it comes to a new notebook, my mind will be racing with how I can make this one even better than the last. What layouts can I include that will "one-up" the last edition?

For a new quarter, this is when I get amped up about my goals. Whether they're completely new, or continuing to work on existing ones, the period of heightened enthusiasm and motivation has got me feeling optimistic about the future.

Come the start of a new week, it feels like a chance to start over. All those "bad habits" I indulged in over the weekend are a thing of the past. Bring on the new-week, new-me energy 😂

The problem here though, and really for all these examples, is that a new journal, new quarter, or new day doesn't actually make for a "new me".

Looking ahead to Quarter 2, I've already started thinking about the routines and habits I want to build...

It's quite a list 😅

Which brings us to this week's idea!

The idea - Aim for incremental changes when introducing new habits

Often when I think about new strategies or routines I want to build, this quickly leads to overwhelm from wanting to change essentially everything and do it all at once 😝

I'll often be tempted to do a new morning routine and aim to eat more nutritiously and start a gratitude log and launch a new video series...

And, and, and, and 😅

By piling too much newness onto my plate at once, I'm pretty much guaranteeing that none of it will stick.

Instead of aiming to change all the things at the same time and then quickly fall away with all of them, it can be more beneficial to make incremental changes that build upon each other.

Rather than tackling a fleet of new habits, we want to identify the 1 or 2 that will have the best outcomes if we solely focus on them.

But which habits should we pick? 🤔

There are two main criteria I like to use when thinking about my potential focus habits:

For the smaller and achievable habits, these are the ones that don't feel like they'll be a huge challenge to incorporate into what we're already doing. These make for a great starting place as they can make us feel accomplished and thus ready to tackle harder or larger tasks.

An example of these could be aiming to include a small additional step to an existing routine. For instance, adding writing down something you're grateful for into an established planning routine.

The other option though is finding habits with flow-on potential. These are the ones that make the other habits you want to build easier to do or more likely to happen.

For instance, if you're aiming to build routines that support better sleep, these can have excellent flow-on effects. By:

1. Getting better sleep, we will then
2. Feel more rested, which means we will
3. Have more energy during the day, which could be used to
4. Tackle other habits, routines, or projects

Rather than trying to change everything at once, by focusing on the 1 or 2 habits that are going to either be the easiest to habitualise or have the biggest pay-off, we can end up successfully building more positive habits in any given time period.

Let's take action

Looking ahead to the habits you want to build in Quarter 2, think about which ones would be the best to start with.

Use the questions below to help you identify the 1 or 2 habits that would be the most beneficial to build first:

For me, I'm going to be mainly focusing on eating foods that fuel my body well. This is a habit that will have excellent flow-on potential for me 😈

Let me know what you think your focus habit will be!

Quarter 2 is upon us 👀

If you've stagnated on your 2025 goals (or low-key abandoned them) then I'd love to help you plan for success in Quarter 2.

Let's lean into the natural milestone of a new quarter and tackle the next three months together with a plan that actually works 💪

No matter the size or life area of your goals, EPIC Goals is designed to help you make them actionable and achievable so you actually make real progress in Quarter 2 (and beyond that, because EPIC Goals offers lifetime access 😝)

Hit the button below if you want me to help you out!

Until next time!

- Jess