It is almost the New Year, and I can hardly believe how fast time is zooming by. This time of year brings a specific kind of pressure to reinvent every aspect of our lives overnight. I am guilty of this as well. We get this idea that we can only improve through massive action in our daily routines. While I love the enthusiasm, and I often wish I could bottle that energy to save it for March or April, this approach is often a recipe for overwhelm and a quick return to old habits. By the time the middle of February or the end of March arrives, statistics suggest that most resolutions have been set aside in favor of the status quo. The energy of a fresh start is wonderful, but it is difficult to keep going when the changes are too far removed from our actual lives.
When we attempt to make changes that do not take into account our energy levels, time, or limitations, or are too large or too sudden, we put our brains on high alert. These drastic shifts are perceived as stressors by our nervous system. Because long lasting changes rarely take root in high stress environments, these massive overhauls often fail. While there are certainly people who can make a giant leap and never look back, they are the exception rather than the rule. For the rest of us, the path to health lies in a more grounded and thoughtful approach that respects our unique context.
Discovering Your Why
Before you change a single habit, it is helpful to start with your reasons for wanting change. The most important question you can ask yourself is why a specific goal matters to you. Often, our initial answers are surface level. I once had a client tell me she felt her motivation was superficial because she simply wanted to look better in her clothes. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look good, but we found that her true motivation was deeper than that.
When we explored the question further, she realized that looking better was actually about feeling more confident. That confidence was the key to her putting herself out there more and taking the professional risks she had been avoiding. Ultimately, her goal was tied to her desire for success and fulfillment. Our goals are almost always tied to how we want to feel. Once you recognize the desired feeling, write it down and keep it somewhere visible. The interesting thing about wellness is that you do not have to wait for a specific number on the scale to start feeling that confidence or courage. You can choose to step into that version of yourself today.
Bare Minimum Commitment
Once you understand your motivation, the next step is to decide on your bare minimum commitment. This is not the ideal version of your habit that requires perfect circumstances. Instead, it is the version you can commit to even when life is messy, unpredictable, or exhausting. A client once told me that small commitments did not feel motivating because they lacked the excitement of a big goal. While big goals are great for inspiration, the bare minimum is what ensures consistency. You can set the big goal, but then use the bare minimum goals to connect the dots.
“Dream Big. Start Small. Connect the Dots.”
Committing to a bare minimum does not mean you can never do more. If you commit to fifteen minutes of movement each day, you can go for an hour run if you have the energy. However, on the days when work is stressful or you did not sleep well, you still have a fail-safe. Whether it is one set of squats or a one minute plank, these small acts prove to you that you are the kind of person who shows up for yourself no matter what. Consistency is the foundation of identity change.
Identity change is the key to lasting wellness. When you become the kind of person who exercises regularly, the kind of person who enjoys healthy food, and the kind of person who takes time to recover and reflect, those changes are more likely to stick because they become who you are. This shift in identity removes the friction of having to constantly decide to be healthy.
Compassion in Behavior Change
In a social media world that celebrates an intense or punishing approach to fitness, the idea of self-compassion can seem foreign. However, the evidence shows that we accomplish much more through kindness than we do through shame. Beating yourself up or using exercise as a punishment rarely leads to long term adherence. If shame and guilt actually worked for permanent change, most people would have reached their goals a long time ago.
It is about letting go of perfection and simply working to be a little bit better each day. What works more effectively is stacking small wins and celebrating your progress. If you are not used to this, it might feel difficult to be kind to yourself regarding your body or your movement practice. A simple way to start is by keeping a log of your successes, both big and small. This can be in a notebook or a simple app on your phone. Write down the moments where you chose a piece of fruit over a processed snack or when you finished a ten minute walk instead of skipping it entirely. As you document these moments, you begin to see your confidence grow because small efforts add up to big results.
ENJOYING the Journey
The final piece of the puzzle is learning to enjoy the process rather than being fixated solely on the outcome. When we focus too hard finish line or outcomes we can’t fully control, we are more likely to fall off track when the road gets bumpy. (Spoiler alert: it will.) Wellness is not a twelve week program you white-knuckle through to the end. It is a lifelong practice of incorporating healthy habits until they become second nature.
This comes back to your why. If you are doing it only for the number on the scale or the size on the inside of your jeans, it becomes harder to maintain. When you consider the longevity benefits of good health, the ability to move well, and the capacity to enjoy time with loved ones, the journey feels more meaningful. When your why is strong and grounded in your values, you show up for yourself no matter what.
True success in wellness happens when these choices become part of who you are rather than just something you are trying to achieve. We move our bodies, manage our stress, and eat well because those actions support the life we want to live. When you shift your perspective from reaching a finish line to enjoying the daily journey, the pressure of the new year begins to fade, replaced by a sense of calm and steady progress.
I still have spots left for my New Year five-week kickstart starting Jan 12th and would love to have you join us. We are moving away from the usual pressure of massive resolutions and focusing instead on making small shifts that feel manageable. The goal is to start moving the needle in a direction that aligns with your life so that the changes you make actually stay with you all year long. It is a chance to start the year with a bit of momentum and a lot less stress.
Questions? I’d love to help.
Lea
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Lea Genders is a board-certified health coach, personal trainer, and workplace wellness consultant based in Fort Worth, TX. She offers corporate wellness programs for employee health and productivity, as well as in-person and virtual training / coaching for individuals worldwide. Her blog shares expert guidance on strength training, running, and sustainable nutrition @fortworth_trainer
The arrival of a new year often brings a specific kind of pressure to reinvent every aspect of our lives overnight. We tend to latch on to the idea that we can only improve through massive action and radical shifts in our daily routines. While the ambition is admirable, this approach is frequently a recipe for overwhelm and a quick return to old habits by mid-February.
True, lasting change rarely takes root in high stress environments. For the rest of us, the path to health lies in a more grounded and thoughtful approach that respects our unique context. By discovering a deeper motivation, committing to the bare minimum, and leading with self-compassion, we can move away from the cycle of burnout. It is about shifting our perspective from reaching a finish line to enjoying the daily journey, allowing wellness to become a part of who we are rather than just something we are trying to achieve.