Mindset

The 10 Minute Reset: 4 Questions to Set Your Year Up Right

By Kim Fisher · Jan 2025 · 5 min read

Today is January 5th, and for a lot of people, this is the real "first day" of the year. The holidays are done. The calendar is serious again. Your brain is making lists.

If you are setting goals or resolutions, here's my favorite quick tool. It takes 10 minutes, a pen, and the willingness to be honest without being dramatic.

This is Science and Soul. We use reflection to create clarity, then we use a small plan to create follow-through.

Why this works

Reflection is not journaling for fun. It improves performance because it helps your brain notice patterns and adjust strategy. Then we add one simple planning tool called "if-then planning"... it's been shown to reliably increase the chances you actually do the habit because it removes decision fatigue in the moment.

And finally, habits take longer than people expect. Many take around two months on average. That's why "I'll be a new me by Friday" tends to collapse by Tuesday.

One more piece that matters... self-compassion supports persistence. When you're kind to yourself while you're growing, you're less likely to spiral into shame and quit.

Question 1: What was hard, and what did it teach me?

This is your low point plus your lesson. What challenged me most? What did that season reveal about my needs, my limits, or my values? What is one truth I'm taking with me?

Question 2: What actually worked, even in small ways?

This is your high point plus what to continue. When did I feel most like myself? What habit helped me, even a little? What do I want to keep because it works?

Question 3: What am I done feeding?

This is your stop-doing list... make it soulful. Not punishing. Clean. What drained me more than it gave back? What story, pattern, or people-pleasing loop needs to end?

Question 4: What is my next simple practice, and what is my "if-then" plan?

Pick one practice you'll commit to for the next 66 days. Then add your if-then.

If I start the coffee, then I mix my protein. If I finish lunch, then I walk for 10 minutes. If it's Monday, Wednesday, Friday, then I strength train. If I brush my teeth, then I do 5 minutes of stretching.

This part matters because it turns a wish into a cue.

The Soul Part

Before you close your notebook, write one sentence: "This year, I'm becoming the kind of person who ______."

Make it identity-based, not outcome-based. Not "lose 15 pounds." More like, "I'm becoming the kind of person who keeps promises to herself."

That is how change sticks... it becomes who you are, not something you try on for January.

You don't need a new personality. You need a cleaner pattern, and a simpler plan.

I believe in you and in your ability to build a better life. You are not behind. I've got you.

I honor your soul, Kim