Today is the most hopeful and optimistic day of the year.

That's great!

Whatever goals and resolutions you have set for yourself, I can't wait!

We are all striving to improve and even though things haven't worked out the way we wanted in the past, we have hope this time will be different.

Musician Nick Cave describes hope as "optimism with a broken heart," and I think that's an apt description. We all try to be different when change is so damn hard.

If you're trying to develop a new exercise habit or change a number on the scale this year, I salute you. Setting a goal for change is very commendable.

However, to give ourselves the best chance of achieving our goal, we need to combine that goal with a bit of self-reflection and self-awareness.

Here are TWO questions to ask yourself as you start 2025…

Question 1: What's different this time?

I'm proud of you for starting over.

But how is this test different?

If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always had.

The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.

If you choose the same goal or strategy that you have tried (unsuccessfully) in the past, the end result will be the same: another wasted year of "why can't I get my act together?"

So consider what will be different this time!

Don't just "go XYZ diet", "cut out sweets forever" or "train for a marathon" again, especially if you've tried these things before and couldn't stick to them.

This time something must be different:

• Make fewer changes.
• Choose ONE goal and focus on it.
• Choose a different exercise plan.
• Choose a different diet or change your way of eating.
• Choose a different time of day for training.
• Recruit a friend to join you so you don't have to do it alone.
• Create a new desired behavior ​beneficial or necessary​.

Prove to yourself that you have learned something from your previous attempts. Don't let your past failures be wasted - they showed you what doesn't work for you.

Try something different this time!

Question 2: What are you afraid of?

You're full of momentum now, and that's great.

But in three weeks, life will happen and something will go wrong.

What was your tendency when this happened in the past?

We ask everyone ​NF coaching client​ before they start: “What are you most nervous about?”

This answer is something they are aware of as a result of their previous attempts:

Are you going to get busy and decide to “take a break until things slow down?” Great! Now you know when that little voice in your head says it, you can prepare for it, plan to do something differently, and choose not to do it To have listen to that voice in your head.

Will you have one bad day and go completely off track? Great! Now you know that when you have a bad day, you can forgive yourself, not look back with anger or guilt, and get right back on track.

Are you going to give up even though you really, really want to go through with it? Great! It happens to all of us when motivation drops after a few weeks. To consider ​Adding the Pact of Ulysses​ protect yourself from your weaknesses or place a bet with a friend to keep yourself accountable.

NF coach Matt Myers was recently at ​Mental Golf Podcast with Josh Nichols​ – and in the 24:30 episode, Matt pointed out something to Josh that surprised him:

“Before you started, you told me, 'I know I'll come out of the HARD gates, but after about 3 weeks I'll burn out and disappear.'

I said, “Thank you for the information,” and I had all these alarms and alerts ready to be checked multiple times over the course of 21 days!”

Josh was self-aware enough to know where he would screw up in the future, he and Coach Matt planned for it and got over the hump together.

They have since worked together for two months (and counting), and Josh has only missed one day of check-ins, and missing one day did not cause him to begin his normal all-or-nothing behavior!

This time MAY be different

We all strive for change and even if we are aware of it…

We often bite off more than we can chew:

Our goals and hopes often transcend the reality that we are fallible, busy, and complicated people with unpredictable lives.

That's okay!

If we are aware of it, if we can try differently... then even if this Next attempt also doesn't work, we can remove this strategy from the list of potential successful paths and try again.

That's what life is: trying, failing, adapting, starting over.

-Steve

PS: If you don't want to take this journey alone, I would be honored if you would check it out ​NF Coaching Program​.

Our coaches are amazing and we are happy to help you achieve your goals. A lot of people have signed up over the last few days, which makes me very happy to be able to help so many new people.