In under a month, we’ll toss out the sparklers and pour the leftover champagne down the sink. Another wave of New Year's resolutions will be here. 

That begs the question - how’d you do last year?

I’ll break the ice. My cardiovascular health and relationship thrived (proof at the end of the article). But my knee still hurts and my blood sugar runs high. We’re all a work in progress!

If you fell short, you’re not alone. Nearly 80% give up on their New Year's goals by Valentine’s day. 

I don’t know you specifically, but I know why you failed. It comes down to three reasons:

1. You didn’t value your goal enough

2. You didn't make the process of achieving your goal fun or engaging 

3. You didn’t reduce the friction in the way of your goal

(Note that each one of those points started with “You.”I hate to be “that guy” - but taking personal responsibility and focusing on what you can control are core tenets of fitness success.)

If you’d like to reach your fitness goals in 2024, you need to address each one. And to do that, you need discipline. 

• Likelihood of accomplishing your goal = the strength of your discipline 

 

This framework comes from Steven Bartlett, a genius and the man behind Diary of a CEO. His equation for discipline:

• Discipline = Value of the goal + reward of the pursuit - the cost of the pursuit 

If we agree that accomplishing your goal comes down to the strength of your discipline, then we can simplify it to:

• Likelihood of accomplishing your goal = value of the goal + reward of the pursuit - the cost of the pursuit 

If you can nail down the value of the goal and make the process enjoyable, while limiting the downside, you’re off and running. 

Put another way, to reach your goal you need to:

1. Understand why it’s important to you.

2. Find ways to enjoy the process

3. Reduce the associated cost of chasing the goal

Here are some thoughts to get you started. 

1. Understand why your goal is important to you.

Too many people spend too little time picking a goal and too much time working toward the goal. Before you go all out to solve a problem, make sure the problem is worth solving in the first place.

For example, I made a goal this past year to deadlift 455 pounds. Why? I wanted to get stronger. My answer to the question “why is this goal important” lacked meaning and depth. 

It’s no wonder I failed! I worked up to 425-435 pounds after a few months, my back started hurting, and I quit.

I rushed through the most important step - elaborating on why the goal was important to me - and jumped right to the tactics. 

3 steps to avoid my mistake:

1. Clearly define your goal. Make it specific and realistic.  

2. Establish why that goal truly matters to you. Decide why it matters to you intrinsically, not just extrinsically. 

3. Imagine the benefits of accomplishing the goal. Visualize how you’ll feel after accomplishing the goal. Fully understanding how it will feel to succeed will help you stay the course.

If I had articulated why a 455 deadlift was actually important to me - to set a barbell strength PR for the first time in years, to prove to myself that I can do hard things, to make sure my fiancé doesn’t deadlift more than me, etc. - I would have been more likely to stick with it. 

To increase your odds of success, pick a worthwhile goal and make it feel as valuable as possible. 

2. Make the process of achieving your goal engaging and rewarding.

Remember our equation:

• Likelihood of accomplishing your goal = value of the goal + reward of the pursuit - the cost of the pursuit 

We just built up the value of the goal. To increase the other positive variable in that equation (reward of the pursuit), make the process fun. 

Some ways to do this:

1. Enlist social support - Create a group chat with your other fitness-minded friends and start a consistency competition. Hire a coach. Whatever it is, have someone to cheer you on and hold you accountable. 

2. Gamify the process - Approach your fitness like a video game. Strive to set new records and “level up.” My coaching clients use an app that gives them a virtual medal when they set a strength record. It sounds silly but works really well for a lot of them. 

3. Stack habits - Pair a rewarding habit with one you hate. Love binging “The Office” but hate the stationary bike? Watch while you ride. Listen to your favorite music or podcast while working out. Etc. 

You won’t always love waking up early to get your workout done. And it won’t always be easy to choose the salad instead of eating like a king who’s on a budget, tasty options. Fries drink and nuggets. All for 5 bucks. Wait, that can’t be right? Just confirmed that that’s the real price  AT BK, HAVE IT YOUR WAY  YOU RULE.

(Sorry about that. Burger King has infiltrated my subconscious.) 

You get it - the more enjoyable the process, the lower your chances of giving up.

3. Reduce friction in the way of your goal. 

The only negative variable in our equation is the most important. If the cost of the pursuit is too high, it doesn’t matter how badly you want it or how engaging you make the process. You will fail. 

Likelihood of accomplishing your goal = value of the goal + reward of the pursuit - the cost of the pursuit 

If value and reward of pursuit both equal 10, but cost equals 50, we’re toast.

• Likelihood of accomplishing your goal = 10 + 10 - 50 = -30. Game over, we lose :( 

A strategy that is…

• Too time consuming

• Involves too much negative feedback

• Induces fear

• Drains you of your energy

• Too isolating

• Too difficult

…will wear down even the strongest-willed person eventually. 

Do everything possible to knock down the barriers in the way of your goal and make the process suck less. 

Some ideas to get the ball rolling:

• Prep your food ahead of time or sign up for a meal delivery service. Make sure you actually enjoy what you’re eating. 

• Plan your workouts in advance and schedule them in your calendar. Make sure they’re doable, both physically and mentally, and a realistic add to your schedule

• Don’t do anything you hate. If you despise running or choking down raw broccoli, don’t do those things. Forcing yourself to do things you don’t enjoy is a fast track to burnout. 

• Make it convenient. Set up your environment for success with healthy food stocked and workout gear nearby. Don’t sign up for a gym an hour away. 

• Do the hardest things early in the day. As the day goes on, your willpower and energy levels fade. Set up your tired, 7pm self for success by starting the day strong. 

(From Jaozolins)

The more friction you reduce, the more likely you are to have success.

How Hiring Me As Your Coach Will Help

I’ve been coaching people for 6 years. I went to school for seven years to get “Doctor” in front of my name. And I’ve dedicated my adult life to figuring out ways to make getting in shape suck less. 

Distilled down to its essence, all I do is help people figure out this equation. 

Likelihood of accomplishing your goal = value of the goal + reward of the pursuit - the cost of the pursuit

It is so simple. Yet so hard. So many people are unhappy with their bodies and scared of what their health will look like in the future if they don’t make a change. 

It absolutely kills me, because I know how to help them. And I know how high the stakes are.

Here’s what’s at stake:

• More confidence in your social and work life 

• Higher energy levels for your family and friends 

• A future free of preventable chronic disease like diabetes and heart disease 

• An investment in your future function and quality of life 

In times like these, I think of Confucious:

“A healthy man wants a thousand things, a sick man wants only one.”

How would your life be different 1 year from now if you committed 2024 to improving your health? How would it help you get more out of life in the next 5, 10, and 30 years?

If you’d like to take the first step, you can fill out my 90 second coaching application below.

VIP Fitness Coaching Application

Thanks and happy holidays,

John

P.S. I can’t guarantee results, but I can guarantee you won’t regret making an informed decision. Plus, the game plan session is free and low stress. No risk, all upside. 

You can sign up below:

Free Game Plan Session 

P.P.S. The proof of a successful 2023 I mentioned above:

3 Steps You Can Take

1. Apply for coaching - If you’re ready to start, you can fill out a coaching application here (it takes 90 seconds or less). Best case, you change your life. Worst case, I’ll help you draw up a road map to get closer to your goals.
   

2. Sign up for my newsletter - If you’d like to hear more, sign up for my mailing list here.
   

3. Keep learning - You can check out my other articles here. Nobody asked me to, but I’ve spent a ton of time researching everything from artificial sweeteners to saturated fat to testosterone and more, so you don’t have to.