January 1 asks a lot of people. You’re supposed to wake up clearheaded, decisive, and ready to overhaul your life. It’s an appealing idea. It also doesn’t tend to hold. Research has shown that only about 9 percent of Americans follow through on their New Year’s resolutions, which helps explain why motivation tends to thin out well before January is over.
That’s why some astrologers argue the 1/11 portal makes more sense for setting intentions. It lands far enough into the month that the holiday haze has worn off and daily reality has made itself known. By then, you’re no longer guessing at who you’ll be this year. You’ve already met that person.
“January 1 is aspirational while January 11 is honest,” tarot reader, Echo of Tarotap, told the New York Post. “By then, the adrenaline of the holidays has faded, and you’re no longer setting goals based on who you think you should be. You’re responding to what your energy can actually sustain.”
1/11 Portal vs. New Year’s Resolutions: Which One Is Actually Better?
This year, January 11 also lines up with a major astrological shift. The lunar nodes move from the Pisces and Virgo axis into Aquarius and Leo on that date. In astrology, the nodes relate to long-term growth and course correction, the tension between past patterns and future direction. When they change signs, the focus changes with them, both personally and collectively.
There’s also the numerology behind it. Repeating numbers like 1/11 have long been associated with initiation and momentum. Even without leaning fully into angel numbers, dates like this act as psychological pause points. They feel distinct enough to reassess without the artificial pressure of a calendar reset.
The fact that 1/11 falls on a Sunday helps too. Sunday is traditionally ruled by the sun, which astrology connects to self-direction and clarity. On a practical level, it’s a day with fewer obligations and more space to think without negotiating everyone else’s expectations.
Echo suggests using the 1/11 portal like a wish list instead of a diagnostic tool. Tarot, she says, can help surface why resolutions stall out. “During this period, tarot readings focus on what keeps getting postponed, and what people say they want versus what their lives actually allow,” she explained. “People don’t fail because they lack discipline. They fail because their goals contradict their real lives.”
Instead of traditional resolutions, Echo recommends setting one through-line intention for the year, something that supports decisions rather than adding pressure:
- Choose one intention that reduces friction across your life. If it only works in one area, it’s unlikely to last.
- Name the internal habit that needs to change first. External goals stay aspirational until this part changes.
- Plan for the first moment of resistance. Most resolutions unravel during discomfort, not failure.
- Set a 30-day check-in focused on follow-through. Consistency matters more than early results.
“Manifestation is about coherence,” Echo said. “When your actions, expectations, and energy align, progress becomes inevitable.”
The appeal of the 1/11 portal isn’t mysticism for its own sake. It’s timing. You’ve lived enough of the year to know what’s realistic, and there’s still plenty of space left to act on it.
The post Is the 1/11 Portal Better Than Traditional New Year’s Resolutions? appeared first on VICE.
