3 Mistakes That Destroy Your New Year Progress (And How to Protect Your Momentum)

FITNESS
The 3 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Starting a New Health or Fitness Routine

The start of a new routine is usually full of good intentions. New workouts. New meals. New rules. And then, a few weeks in, it starts to feel harder instead of easier.

Why? It’s usually because the approach is working against you from the start.

Here are the three biggest mistakes I see people make when they’re trying to get healthier, and what to do instead.

1. Expecting It to Take Less Time Than It Actually Does

This one is subtle but powerful. We tell ourselves we’ll “fit it in” without changing anything else. Same schedule. Same stress. Same responsibilities. Just add workouts and better nutrition on top.

Health takes time. Not hours a day, but intentional space. Grocery shopping, prepping food, moving your body, sleeping enough. These things require planning, not just motivation.

When you don’t account for time, health habits feel inconvenient and optional. They’re the first thing to go when life gets busy.

A better approach is to decide where health fits instead of hoping it does. Three workouts instead of five. Simple meals you can repeat. Walking meetings. Earlier bedtimes a few nights a week.

Consistency grows when the plan respects your calendar.

2. Trying to Be Perfect Instead of Consistent

Perfection feels productive, but it’s not. One missed workout, one off-plan meal, one chaotic day, and the whole routine feels ruined.

This all-or-nothing thinking is one of the biggest predictors of burnout. Research on behavior change shows that people who allow flexibility are far more likely to maintain habits long-term.

Consistency is built through repetition, not perfectionism.

That means showing up even when it’s messy. A shorter workout still counts. A protein-focused meal still matters even if it’s not “clean.” A walk still supports your health even if it wasn’t what you planned.

Progress compounds when you keep going, not when you try to be perfect.

3. Being Too Restrictive Too Fast

Cutting everything out might work for a short burst, but it almost always backfires. Severe restriction increases food focus, cravings, and rebound eating. This is well documented in nutrition research and dieting studies.

When your routine feels punishing, your body and brain push back.

Instead of asking, “What do I need to remove?” start with, “What do I need to add?”

More protein. More fiber. More movement. More sleep. These additions naturally crowd out less supportive habits without triggering the restrict-and-rebel cycle.

Sustainable health is built on nourishment, not deprivation.

The Big Picture

Most people don’t fail because they don’t care enough. They struggle because they expect fast results from unsustainable habits.

When you give yourself enough time, flexibility, and fuel, health stops feeling like something you’re constantly starting over with.

That’s when it sticks.

MINDSET
Momentum is fragile

Momentum is one of the most powerful forces you can use to change your body, your habits, and your life.

But it’s not something you stumble into.
It’s something you build.
And it’s something you have to protect.

Most people think momentum just shows up one day. Like eventually things click, motivation appears, and suddenly discipline feels easy.

That’s not how it works.

Momentum isn’t luck.
It isn’t timing.
It isn’t magic.
It’s not a personality trait some people have and others don’t.

Momentum is the result of showing up consistently.
Following through on your plan.
Doing the boring things well.
And repeating that process long enough that your body and brain stop fighting you.

At first, everything feels heavy.
The workouts feel harder than they should.
The habits feel forced.
The effort feels disproportionate to the results.

That resistance is normal.
It’s not a sign you’re doing it wrong.

Momentum is what happens when you push through that phase instead of quitting in it.

But here’s the part most people miss.

Momentum is fragile.

It’s not destroyed by one bad day, but it is weakened by lowered standards.
Cutting corners.
Making constant exceptions.
Telling yourself you’ll get back on track tomorrow.

Every time you do that, you chip away at the very thing that was making everything feel easier.

That’s why so many people feel “on” for a week or two, then lose it.
They stop doing the behaviors that created the feeling in the first place.

If you want momentum in your health, your fitness, or your life, you don’t wait for it.
You earn it.
Daily.
Quietly.
Through repetition.

Protect your standards.
Feed the habits that created progress.
Show up even when it feels unremarkable.

Momentum will give you results, but only if you respect how easily it can disappear.

Make yourself Better Today.