January 2 at the gym is always the same: a parking lot packed with cars, headsets in, sneakers laced, faces flushed with determination, treadmills full. By mid-February, most of these same people won’t be back. The treadmills will be empty, the yoga mats rolled up, and New Year’s determination replaced with a quiet, “I’m over it.”
I see it every year in my friends and “short-term” gym buddies who sign up with grand ambitions to “get shredded” or “train harder,” only to skip sessions a few weeks later, avoid the weights, and slide back into old eating habits.
They’re not lazy; they’re caught in the cycle of unrealistic resolutions. Most “New Year, New Me” goals follow the same script: lose weight, eat better, work out more. On paper, they sound great. In reality, they often fail because they begin with obligation, not intention. They’re fuelled by shame-based motivation, too vague or too extreme goals, or driven by the pressure to have a resolution at all.
Shame-based motivation is everywhere: “I should look better,” “I need to eat clean,” “I can’t miss a workout.” These goals feel heavy before they even start. Vague resolutions like “eat healthier” or “work out more,” or punishing ones like “train every day, no excuses,” rarely last.
Real change doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with small, personal goals and consistent actions. Research suggests it takes roughly ten weeks for a habit to stick, so begin with two workouts a week and build from there. Progress is quiet and incremental, but it’s real. Discipline isn’t something you summon at the beginning of the year, it’s something you grow over time, one choice at a time
So, this year, let’s do things differently. Scrap the pressure of January 1 resolutions and start from a place of abundance, not guilt. Begin with small, manageable steps. Choose progress over resolutions, and when you hit bumps, reset, refocus, and keep going. After all, wellness isn’t a date on the calendar. It’s a lifestyle, and you can start any day. New year, simply you.
