What are you doing to ensure that this year is actually a "New Year" for you instead of just another year? Most of us assume that the tradition of setting resolutions around this time is enough to put our life on the grand trajectory that we so desire.
"New Year, new me" you say. Humans are funny. The majority of us coast throughout the year in a mental fog, seeming oblivious to what steps we should take next...that is until the New Year comes around and we miraculously gain crystal clarity about the changes to make that will lead us to a life of fulfillment. Its like there's something about the idea of a fresh start that gets our brains excited and looking for new outcomes it would ignore otherwise.
Based on my experience and study, I think this excitement is encoded in us and can be best understood by examining the law of first instance. I simplify the law/principle as follows - the 1st minute has the most influence over the entire hour, the 1st hour has the most influence over the entire day, the 1st day over the entire week, the 1st week over the entire month (January), and so on. So any initial measure of time (e.g., first month) has the most impact on its encompassing measure of time (e.g., year).
Law of First Instance
Typically this principle is associated with the legal system and refers to the initial stage of any legal process, highlighting the court that is the first to take jurisdiction over a matter. If we extract the text in bold we see the true underlying principle, "the initial stage is the first to take jurisdiction (the power or right to exercise authority) over a matter". This is very important because if we understand principles, then we understand that they are applicable across many arenas, not just one specific topic.
Before I determine how to integrate a newfound principle in my life, the first place I look to see if the principle is present is in nature. This makes it easy to draw parallels in my own experience and implement actions to take advantage of the principle. With that said, let's take a look at the "first instance" of seed germination.
*image by DALL-E 3
When a seed germinates (the unfolding of your 1st minute, hour, day, etc.), the initial roots search for nutrients and water, making the first decision about where to grow. Next, if the initial path is unproductive (e.g., hitting stone or dry soil), the roots adjust direction to find better conditions, reflecting a process of reassessment.
Now we have two interpretations of the principle to work with to understand the significance of New Year's Resolutions and why we're hard wired to get enthusiastic about them:
a) the initial stage is the first to take jurisdiction
b) the initial roots make the first decision about where to grow and if the initial path is unproductive, it adjust direction to find more suitable conditions, reflecting a process of reassessment.
Well, what's the actual definition of a resolution? In short, it is "a firm decision to do something". So, based on our interpretations of the law of first instance we can say that our resolutions are the "initial roots" of our New Year. This would make our actions/committments to the new goal, the nutrients and water to make those roots flourish in the right direction.
Why The Epic Fail?
With roughly 38% of Americans setting New Year's resolutions every year, why are 23% quitting in the first week, and only 36% making it past the first month? Why is it that out of the millions of people that project "New Year, New me", only a measely 9% say they kept their committment in full?
There are countless reasons we can point to, but we're going to stay in alignment with the seed principle we built upon earlier. The "initial roots" (resolutions) are searching for a path leads to sustenance. This is where most of us fall short. The resolution is merely the intent to do a thing, not the actual process of getting it done. We haphazardly attempt to become a brand new person and wonder why it doesn't work. So the question becomes, "how do we supply the nutrients and water?"
One simple solution to leverage our "first instance" principle is to break down your resolution into clear, measurable actions at each time scale:
First minute: A specific, achievable action (e.g., putting on running shoes)
First hour: A complete version of your desired behavior
First day: A full implementation of your new routine
First week: A sustainable pattern that includes recovery and adjustment periods
First month: Revise, optimize, and repeat
Here's where I'm at personally:
First minute: In meditation/prayer
First hour: Professional writing
First day: Reading, writing, meditation/prayer, no refined sugar, no social media (InLEO doesn't count 🦁 )
The law of first instance reveals to us why New Year's resolutions feel powerful and how to make them stick. As a seed's initial roots determine its trajectory, our first actions carve our path forward - but those roots need the proper nourishment to thrive. By breaking down our resolutions into clear, actionable steps and ensuring we have the right "nutrients" in place, we can transform the excitement of "New Year, new me" into sustainable, lasting change.