Now that 2025 is here, it’s time to put all of those new year’s resolutions into action, right?

Maybe not so fast.

It’s tempting to cram every new habit, self-improvement technique, workout routine, and intentional journaling practice into the first few weeks of the new year. But a fast start to the new year has its downsides; it’s easy to overcommit and flame out.

We’ve been there ourselves. Commit to too much and you might not be able to do anything well.

Instead of starting 2025 with a fast start full of commitments, consider a different approach to the first few weeks of the year: taking it slow.

A slow start allows you to clear the noise, release old patterns, and create the space to welcome something new in.

This is exactly what a snake does when it sheds its outer skin. It’s a process called ecdysis, and it happens a few times a year so snakes (and other invertebrates) can accommodate new growth, remove parasites, and make space for the regeneration of limbs and other healing.

But here is where it gets interesting: when a snake sheds its skin, it doesn’t happen quickly. It can take between one to two weeks to fully release the old skin. During this time, the snake often retreats to a quiet, safe place where it can be alone.

There might be lessons for us here: we can’t adopt the new before we shed the old. And more importantly, this can be slow, deliberate work. The faster we rush through this process, the less likely it is that the change will stick.

The psychologist Amos Tversky once said, “You waste years by not being able to waste hours.”

When our commitments to be the best version of ourselves occupy every hour of the day, we might find ourselves busy but not purposeful, and productive but not healthy.

Here are three questions to reflect on this week:

1. What do I first need to let go of so I can make the space to embrace something new?

2. In what areas does slowing down now lead to greater focus or momentum later?

We’d love to hear from you. How are you going slow in the first few weeks of January? What are you shedding to make space for what’s new in the year ahead?

Insights

Huberman Podcast with Jordan Peterson: How to Best Guide Your Life Decisions & Path. The podcast explores how brain states shape decision-making—for better or worse—and how religion and culture can guide us toward and through the best paths in life. Huberman Lab (3 hours, 51 minutes)

The 3-4 Hour Rule for Getting Creative Work Done. It’s nearly impossible to get work done that demands serious mental focus for more than three or four hours a day. Instead of trying to optimize every minute of every day to maximize productivity, we should give ourselves permission to stop (and be satisfied) after 3-4 hours. The Imperfectionist (4 minutes)

Master the Art of Momentum: Daily Routines That Deliver Results. This post is full of quality advice to spark your next commitment. It might be a morning routine, gratitude journal, or new habit. Whatever you pick, it can build momentum towards your long-term goals. Harder to Kill (12 minutes)

Why You Should Be Doing More Moderate Intensity Workouts. There are five key benefits to hitting this (moderate intensity) sweet spot of exertion, according to exercise scientists. GQ (8 minutes)

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