*This* Might Be the Best Day to Start a New Habit

So you’re all excited about trying a new healthy diet or really sticking to a trendy exercise habit you set up for yourself. You’ve planned, you laid it out and you’re ready to go on Monday. But before you put more pressure on your already stressful Monday, you might want to rethink your attack strategy.

There is something about New Year’s Eve, birthdays and even plain old Mondays that gives us a sense of fresh starts and gets us hyper-motivated to make big changes. We assume that we will be more focused and disciplined at the beginning of the week, but by the time Monday morning rolls around, we’re usually a little sleep-deprived and in desperate search of caffeine, not new goals. According to time-management expert Laura Vanderkam, it’s time to say goodbye to the theory of a fresh start. If you are looking for the most successful day to start a new habit, Thursday seems to have a lot going for it.