Most people have heard of the winter arc. Many people may have tried to stick with the so-called winter arc but have failed miserably. You may see these inspirational and disciplinary posts everywhere with the words “lock in” plastered across your screen. It probably piqued your interest if you’re reading this right now. Many people just throw the term “winter arc” around. Today I want to give a deeper understanding of a winter arc and how you could slowly implement it into your life this fall and winter.

What is the winter arc?

The winter arc is the task of utilizing the isolation and deep introspection that the cold, dark winter months harness to improve in any areas of your life. The duration of the winter arc depends on the individual. Some people start at the beginning of fall and go all the way to the end of winter. For others, the duration of the winter arc is around ninety days. What people decide to focus on is also very personal. Some individuals choose to focus on just their physical health, while others may want to focus on their physical health, mental health, or finances. Whatever you feel called to improve in is what you should focus on during the winter arc, even if it’s as silly as wanting to learn how to cook. 

Why fall and winter are the optimal times to focus on self-improvement:

I’m sure most of us remember the lessons on hibernation from kindergarten. If you don’t, here is a reminder. Hibernation is a period of time, mostly in winter, when an animal enters a dormant and restful state. They stay under shelter so they can conserve energy and protect their vital organs. Humans don’t need hibernation, but we still do it subconsciously. When it gets too cold, we stay inside to protect ourselves from the disastrous health consequences of the frigid air. 

Like I said, we do our “human hibernation” in our own way. But that is not the only reason why I believe fall and winter are optimal for a “winter arc.” One study from Belgium concluded that healthy young adults had the best attention span in winter and the lowest span in summer. In addition, the study also showed that performance on a working-memory task was highest in the autumn and lowest in the spring. Use the improved focus to your advantage this season, instead of just sitting around passively. It may be a little difficult now, but future you will be extremely grateful. 

Why should you start a winter arc?

If you’re still unsure of whether you should start your winter arc, let me give you a few reasons why you should

• Fall and winter are times when we don’t go outside as much, so they are optimal for deep work and focus
• We focus better during fall and winter
• You could have your dream body, life, finances before the next summer starts
• You’ll come out better than when you went in
• You’ll be able to prove to yourself you can lock in when it it needed
• You can focus on improving in the skills or hobbies you’ve been putting off

These are just some of the general reasons I thought of. I would encourage you to come up with your personal reasons for starting your winter arc. Having personal reasoning, in my experience, has helped me accomplish a lot of my goals. It’s a considerable idea to have them written down somewhere. I always go back to my reasons for starting my winter arc whenever I feel discouraged. It’s a reminder of why you even wanted to start your winter arc in the first place. 

How to start your winter arc:

1. Write down your why

Why do you want to start your winter arc? What makes you want to focus on growth this fall and winter, instead of just letting it pass by? If you have a strong why, I believe coming back to that why throughout that journey keeps you motivated and disciplined. Whatever the reason is, don’t be ashamed. Remember this is for you, and you only. Therefore, be one hundred percent honest with yourself. 

2. Find out what things you truly want to change about yourself

What about you has been irritating lately? Maybe it’s the fact that you keep getting distracted whenever you make it a goal to get work done. Or maybe you’ve been skipping too many workouts. Perhaps you haven’t made much progress with one of your hobbies. Or possibly it’s something like decreasing your screen time.

Whatever you want to change, just embrace it. Don’t come to your defense. Just feel the discomfort of holding yourself accountable. If you can see that irritating quality clearly, you are halfway there to eliminating it. You are not set in your ways; it’s never too late to change. 

3. Start with super small goals

In my experience, the times when I don’t accomplish any of my goals are the times when I set extensive ones. When you set big goals with no little checkpoints in between, I find you’re bound to lose motivation. Not only that, but setting small goals leading up to your big goals gives a more structured path to follow. You can see where you are a lot better. 

Let me give you a little example. So let’s say your ultimate goal is to learn a song on the piano. Your smaller goals prior to learning the whole song would be practicing for forty-five minutes each day and doing that for 5 days a week. Making small, manageable goals helps you see how attainable your goals actually are. 

4. Set goals for a short time period

Along with setting small goals, setting goals to be done in a shorter time period is also helpful. Of course, don’t cram your end goal into one super short period; just set a time limit for when you want one small goal to be accomplished. Setting a time cap also means you’re more likely to complete it by then.

Think about it. Let’s say you give yourself the whole day to clean out the closet; you will spend half of your day doing useless activities like scrolling or watching TV. Whereas if you gave yourself two hours to clean out your closet, you would be very focused and less likely to procrastinate. 

5. Reflect on how you could have done better

If you have an unfortunate day during your winter arc, don’t fret. Every mistake and perceived setback is a learning opportunity. Take some time at the end of your day and really write down the times where you could have done better. For example, you may have been super focused that day, but only after you doom-scrolled for 30 minutes. It’s all right; it happens to the best of us. Obviously doom scrolling is something you could improve on. But put measures in place, like putting your phone across the room, to make sure you don’t make the same mistake. 

During your time in the winter arc, be patient with yourself. If you’re new to goal setting and truly want to change your life, setting super high expectations only discourages you. Discipline is not about how long you can stick to a routine; it’s about how fast you bounce back from minor setbacks. You’re human, not a robot. Humans are not built for monotonous routine. Embrace the little disruptions and ask what you could learn from them. 

I hope you guys start your winter arc after reading this. I believe it could only make a better person. If you use the steps above and start slowly and simply, your success is inevitable. You are capable of being disciplined; you are capable of keeping promises to yourself. Best of luck!