Today is January 1st.

It’s not.

It’s May 9.

That’s a pretty stupid day to start a new goal.

Nobody starts anything new on May 9. Even worse, it’s a Wednesday. Nobody kicks off a new adventure on hump day.

So then why do I think you should start something new today?

Because January 1 is just a day.

We tend to give it power. We think it’s special, as if the day itself holds some significance. Surely, if we are going to accomplish something, it will be that day.

By May, we’ve forgotten all about that thing that felt so fresh and new in January.

But what if you had the power to decide today was January 1? What if you realized the date is just arbitrary after all? What if the specific words didn’t matter so much as the actions you take?

Yesterday, I decided it was January 1. I made a fresh list of goals and committed to working on them for one solid month. I’m calling it #WickedAwesomeMonth because I am a dork like that.

What are my goals?

In the next 30 days, I’m going to:

1. Ride my bike 300 miles.

2. Read 8 books

3. Write 100,000 words

4. Encourage 100 different people

5. A bunch of secret goals I can’t tell you.

Does that sound silly? Of course it is. Who does new goals in May?

Turns out, I do. I’ve already ridden 31 miles in the last 36 hours. I’ve encouraged 5 people and written 1,000 words. So far, so good.

I’ll be posting progress on my Instagram account. You should follow it right here.

I’ll be using principles the PhD from Finish taught me. (You should read that book.)

I’ll be using the dopest calendar ever made to track them.

January 1 is a great date, but you know what? So is May 8.

I dare you to write down a new goal today. You’ve got so much year left. Don’t wait until next January to try something new.

Today is January 1st.

Here’s to a #WickedAwesomeMonth.

Jon