It’s that time of year again—New Year’s Resolution season.

This means it’s time for my input on what I think about this crazy resolution season.

You’ve probably heard it (or even thought it yourself): “I’ll start fresh on the 1st of January (or any other month or start of the week, in fact).” And with that mindset, what happens up until then? You kick it to the curb. You’ve essentially given yourself a golden excuse to let things slide, indulge a bit more, and avoid accountability until this set date.

Here’s the cold, hard truth: waiting for a specific date to change your life is a mindset trap. It’s a cycle that’s incredibly hard to break. If you get comfortable with starting over on January 1, what happens when that fresh start doesn’t go perfectly? You move the goalposts again. “I’ll get back on track February 1…or next Monday…or after the long weekend.” And so the cycle continues.

Why You Shouldn’t Wait

Life will always throw challenges your way. Reaching your fitness and health goals is never going to be convenient. If you’re waiting for the “perfect” time to start, it doesn’t exist.

If you genuinely want to change, the best start is now. Not next week, not next month, and not next year. And here’s another truth bomb: if you mess up one day, the sun still rises the next morning. That’s your chance to course-correct and keep going. The most successful people aren’t flawless. They’ve had days where everything went wrong, but they don’t let one day turn into a bad week, month, or year. They dust themselves off and get back on track immediately.

The Problem With January 1 Mentality

The “I’ll start after the holidays” mindset is the ultimate procrastination trap.

Let’s be brutally honest: most people who declare they’ll overhaul their lives on January 1 don’t stick to it. By mid-January, many are already back to where they started in December. Then it becomes, “Well, I’ll start fresh on February 1,” and the cycle repeats. This approach creates a pattern of inconsistency and inaction, leading to no real change.

The Real Secret to Success

New Year’s resolutions don’t work.

What does work? Consistent effort, discipline, and the understanding that one bad day doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Success in health and fitness isn’t about perfection but persistence and consistent adherence. Whether your goal is to lose fat, build muscle, improve performance, or feel better, the magic ingredient is consistent focus over time.

The festive season is about celebration. Go get loose on New Year’s Eve; forget setting a resolution that starts on January 1. You are wasting your time. At this time of year, enjoy your time with loved ones and savour the treats, but also don’t use the holidays as an excuse to put your health on hold. Show up for yourself, even in small ways. A quick workout here, a nutritious meal there—it all adds up.

So here’s the challenge: Instead of a New Year resolution, sit down and set some goals and targets for 2025 and take ownership of your health and fitness. It’s fine if you have a terrible day; you haven’t broken a resolution. You’ve experienced what happens to all of us, and there should be no reason to derail and set a new start-again date.

It is all about finding balance, staying consistent, and, most importantly, not letting one setback derail everything. Success is about showing up, day after day—not waiting for some mythical perfect moment to begin.

And that’s why New Year’s Resolutions are a load of crap!!