No More New Year, New You: What to Do Instead

Every year, we make resolutions to eat healthier and move more and just be an all-around better person. And all these ideas are great, except when they’re paired with statements like:

I’m going to cut out all sugar.
I’m going to work out every day.
I’m going to read a book a week.

Again, these ideas are great, but they’re not sustainable in the long run. Like the 75 Hard program by Andy Frisella, which is incredibly motivational and has all the best intentions–but it’s too rigid for the actual humans (with jobs and responsibilities and fun hobbies) who commit to it.

And, with programs like 75 Hard, you have one bad day and you’ve failed…and have to start over on Day One.

Let’s throw out the idea that you need to be a “new you” in the new year and instead find ways to make small changes every day or every week. One of the biggest reasons why people don’t get results with programs is because they try to do too much at once, they make too many changes on the first day.

• Find a program that’s do-able for you. I love that Beachbody has so many options for training programs, all with rest days built in. If you’re unable to do a workout on a particular day, you can pick up where you left off the next day. And if you’re traveling and don’t have your equipment, most hotels have gyms you can use, or find a workout on Beachbody On Demand that you can do without any equipment at all. (Job 1 is a new 5-day a week program from Beachbody just might fit your schedule perfectly.)
• Commit to four weeks, not an entire year. Maybe in January, you commit to finishing Job 1. Then in February, you can reevaluate how it’s going and commit to another program. Or maybe you shift and commit to hiking three times a week and doing one or two Beachbody workouts between. You don’t need to commit to 12 months of one thing to be successful or to see results.
• Focus on habit stacking. Overhauling your entire wellness program at the beginning of the year is just going to lead to overwhelm. Instead, stack your new habits a little at a time. Commit to a workout routine in January. In February, identify a bad nutritional habit you want to change, like snacking after dinner. In March, you can cut out refined sugar. And so on. Keep your new habits from previous months, but stack new ones on top of them to see more progress. The idea here is that you’re getting used to small changes every month instead of needing the willpower to make a ton of changes at once.

Change is possible and I get really excited about setting intentions for the year too. But it’s all about being realistic with the changes I want to make, otherwise I’m setting myself up for failure.

What are you planning to commit to this year? I’d love to hear! Send me a DM on Facebook and let’s chat!