Why You Shouldn't Start On Monday
- Elliot Fisher
- Dec 11
- 8 min read
The words are uttered: “I’ll start on Monday.” Yet another week comes and goes without you following through on the promise of change. You shouldn’t schedule the start of a new diet, habit or fitness regime for Monday, and here’s why.
It is highly likely you or someone you know has made a hollow vow to turn their fitness or health around next week. Maybe it was cutting out chocolate starting Monday. Or finally beginning a workout routine after payday. Or giving up smoking once the current pack runs out. Too often the following week, payday or pack disappears with no change in action or behaviour. The intention may have been heartfelt at the time, but with no planning or immediate steps, the motivation floated away.
You are about to learn
what the “I’ll start Monday” phenomenon really is
Why it rarely works (even with good intentions)
What you can do to beat Monday Start Syndrome for good.
Why It Rarely Begins On Monday
We choose to change our habits for many reasons. Maybe you want to lose weight, get fit or simply feel healthier. Sometimes the motivation is positive (you don't need to but want to) like getting beach ready or preparing for a wedding. Sometimes it is negative (you need to) like tightening finances or recovering after an injury. We can even make negative changes for positive outcomes, such as quitting smoking. You know it is better for you, but dropping the habit still feels uncomfortable.
Stepping down stairs is a lot less scary than stepping off a cliff. Both will get you to the bottom.
Most of us reach the point of wanting change only after a long period of frustration. By then the issue feels big. The resistance to change is not based on how positive the result will be, but on the size and speed of the change itself. That is why starting on Monday feels safer. You get temporary relief in the form of a psychological buffer. But delays only make the change feel bigger and scarier.
That Thing You Don't Want To Do
When the decision to change finally comes, many people crave instant results. They want the relief now. But jumping straight into a big change is like jumping into an unheated pool: with gritted teeth and grim determination (Lustia, C 2018). You don't know if it will be good for you, but the shock is overwhelming, so your instinct is to tense in shock or get out quick.
The solution is simple: start with small changes that create smaller resistance. One salad next, not seven days of salads. One workout this week, not a seven day boot camp. A reduction in chocolate, not a vow to never touch it again.
In short start with small changes that give small resistance. The longer you delay the start, the bigger you feel the jump must be to compensate. That turns your first step into a cliff instead of a staircase. Stepping down stairs is a lot less scary than stepping off a cliff. Both will get you to the bottom.
Diversion Tactics: Why You Keep Choosing Monday
Another reason you promise yourself a Monday start is avoidance. You may be trying to dodge the discomfort of change by convincing yourself that next week magically makes it easier. Simply becoming aware of the avoidance pattern can help break it. Some people don't even realise they are avoiding it. They believe that this Monday compared to all the rest will be different. Knowing that the phenomenon exists means next time you catch yourself in the moment doing the delay, you can act. You can use some of the steps below to help.
Education can help too. Speaking to your local gym, fitness class or nutrition coach can push the first domino over without you realising it. Sometimes the first step is as simple as asking “How do I start?” The truth is you started the moment you asked the question. You just need to act before the spark fades. Just don’t wait until Monday.
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Last Chance Syndrome
One of the biggest problems with the “I’ll start Monday” plan is you do something to excess knowing that you’re going to radically change tomorrow (Fouts, M 2020). This is especially common with diets. You decide to cut out sugar tomorrow, so what happens today? You to indulge because it feels like your last chance. Most commonly with new diets you may find the urge to splurge before your commitment starts. The food type most demonised is sugar (it's really not that bad if you know how to utilise the food type) - see my Nutrition Hierarchy Guide to learn that all food is good when used in the right way.
This becomes a real problem when the start date is even further away. December is famous for it. People decide to wait until after Christmas or the New Year, then use the entire month as a free for all. A day of indulgence you can recover from. A month makes the start line further away and pushes the finish line even deeper into the distance. The festive season is already a glutenous and difficult month for staying on track without the added get out clause that it will all be different next year?
Last Chance Syndrome also encourages an unhealthy relationship with your actions. If you regularly go through the cycle of starting next week, stopping, then starting again, you begin to demonise food or dread workouts. This makes each restart harder and pushes you into a deeper cycle of avoidance. Or worse, you always binge because of an empty promise that never actually starts so in reality all you do is get worse without even making a start at the reverse.
Are you actually "All or Nothing"?
Some people genuinely succeed with cold turkey approaches. Smokers sometimes quit overnight, but only when they remove the habit entirely from their environment. No talk of cigarettes, no reminders, no occasional indulgence.
Others use the all or nothing label as an excuse. They claim they cannot do moderation, yet in most parts of their lives they operate somewhere on a spectrum. The truth is often that there is an underlying issue, not a personality trait. You know the person, they claim they can only do one pint or a vomit induced bender and nowhere in between. Is it really such a lack of self control or a label to act as the excuse?
Understanding which type you are helps you choose the right behaviour strategy. It may even reveal why you keep delaying action. Like recognising Diversion Tactics, just knowing this label is a method you use can be enough to stop. Below we have some strategies to help combat Monday!
To Borrow From Nike: Just Do It!
How do you stop putting things off? How do you stop eating chocolate starting Monday? Ask yourself two questions:
Why such an absolute action?
What's stopping you right now?
Human resistance is tied to the size and speed of change. Eliminating all chocolate is like hitting a brick wall. Could you instead introduce a weekly limit and gradually tighten it? Let your behaviour and cravings adjust. You will still face some discomfort, but in manageable doses. Why not just some chocolate, say at work or at home or certain days (providing you don't overcompensate for it later). Especially with dietary changes, a good tip is to replace the food. This still gives you the timing habit. For example, chocolate for chocolate flavoured rice crackers. It doesn't have to perfect it just has to be better than alternative. Keep making better choices and you will soon see a difference.
If you truly are all or nothing, challenge yourself. If you can quit completely, what is stopping you this very second? You can book that class now. Get a gym membership online now. You can choose what you'll have for dinner instead of a takeaway now. Use your 'all or nothing' approach as a superpower. The way you harness that power is to go all in before something else comes up to distract you.
If you believe you are an all or nothing person, take a moment to ask yourself what is actually in your way right now. What are the excuses hiding behind the delay? You don’t need to finish the cigarette to quit. You don’t need to wait for next Monday to put your shoes on and walk for ten minutes. Once you own the choice, you will act on it.
Plan For Monday Rather Than Hope For Monday
Some things naturally start on a set date such as fitness classes or challenges. The key is to plan and commit early instead of waiting until the day. Book the class, block out your schedule and set reminders. Armoured Muscle classes send you a 24 hour reminder before each session to help you commit the time but you only benefit from that if you’ve already booked ahead.
We have to escape the mentality that this next Monday (or arbitrary marker) will be any different from the last. After all, time, months, dates and holidays are all made up. Your biology only really recognises (very basically) if the sun is up or down.
If you really do have to delay your start, rather than hope this Monday will be different. make preparations to force it to be different.
Actionable Tips To Beat The Monday Start
Use any one, all or combination of the following tips to finally get your over the start line!
1. Use the Two Minute Rule
Start with an action that can be completed in two minutes. Book the class. Fill the water bottle. Lay out your gym kit. Small actions create momentum. Trick is, do it ASAP before you forget or are distracted.
2. Start Today With One Tiny Habit
Do one push up, drink one glass of water, eat one piece of fruit. Today sets the tone, not Monday. Any positive habit is a start. You have to take the first step before you take your 500th.
3. Remove the Last Chance Mindset
Instead of eliminating a food, reduce it. Instead of vowing to exercise daily, start with a single weekly session. This removes the idea that you'll never see it again and by extension the feeling that you need to make the most whilst you can.
4. Anchor the Habit
Attach the new habit to something you already do. After your morning coffee, stretch for two minutes. After dinner, take a five minute walk. You already have one habit ingrained. Use that habit as a springboard for the new routine.
5. Build Environment Before Motivation
Set reminders, prepare clothes, remove triggers, tell someone your plan. Structure beats motivation every time. Because structure fosters discipline, motivations fades. You can even take this as far as your friendship circle. Be around the people that encourage health instead of those that delight in tempting you away.
6. Use a Rule of 3
Any time you get the urge to improve your health or fitness, take at least one action within 3 days. Any longer and the motivation evaporates. Keep it up for at least 3 consecutive weeks to let the habit soak into your life. Decide after 3 months if any progress has been made.
7. Beware of Language That Signals Delay
Listen out for your own phrases like “after payday” or “once things calm down” are warning signs. No client of mine has ever had "work calm down" actually happen. Replace the language with “I’ll start with one small action now.”
Beat Monday!
Most people delay change with the promise of “I’ll start on Monday,” but delay only increases resistance, builds pressure and often triggers binge behaviour beforehand. The bigger the gap between intention and action, the harder the first step becomes. Real progress happens when you act while the spark is still warm, start with small manageable changes and remove the all or nothing mindset. Plan ahead instead of hoping motivation will magically arrive and focus on building environments and habits that support action today, not next week. The sooner you take even the smallest step, the easier the journey becomes.
What a lot of motivational common sense ! Good read 👍