Whether you love or hate New Year’s resolutions—whether you proudly call yourself a “resolutioner” or avoid the label altogether—this time of year presents a great opportunity to reset and redirect the course of your next twelve months.
And yes, we are pro-goal setting around here. In fact, I encourage people to set lofty goals, even if they feel a little unrealistic. Shoot for the stars, and you might just land on a mountaintop. That said, our goals shouldn’t come at the cost of our mental health or self-worth. If a goal doesn’t happen, it’s not a sign of weakness. It’s not a character flaw. It’s usually just a sign that your environment isn’t set up to help you succeed yet.
The Problem Isn’t Motivation—It’s Environment
We often assume that the key to success is raw willpower or motivation. But here’s the truth:
Even the most disciplined people don’t rely on motivation alone.
They engineer their environment to support their success.
So if you’ve tried and “failed” at past goals or routines—whether that’s exercising, eating better, sleeping more, or drinking less—there’s a good chance it’s not you that needs fixing. It’s the immediate environment around you that needs tweaking.
Tweak the Environment → Support the Habit
When we talk about changing your environment, we’re not talking about gutting your life or building a home gym. We’re talking about small, intentional changes to your space, your schedule, and your surroundings that make it easier to default to the behavior you want—even on days when you don’t feel like it.
Here are a few examples:
Tweak #1: Physical Reminders in Common Spaces
If you’re working on nutrition habits, try putting a chart of easy, healthy meal ideas on your fridge. Take those vegetables that are buried in the back drawer and move them front and center. And those salty snacks? Still buy them if you want—but maybe they live in the back of the high cabinet, out of sight, instead of on the counter.
Set yourself up for success by making the right choice the easy one.
Tweak #2: Habit Stacking
We’re creatures of habit—so instead of starting a brand-new one from scratch, try stacking it onto something you’re already doing.
Here’s what that might look like:
- After I pour my morning coffee, I do 1 set of push-ups.
- After brushing my teeth at night, I prep my gym clothes for the morning.
- After logging in for work, I stretch for 2 minutes.
It’s easier to grow a habit from something that already exists than to invent something brand new. Start with one small action, and build from there.
Tweak #3: Curate Your Social Environment
This one might be the most important—and the hardest.
Your social circle matters when it comes to building new habits. If you want to eat better, drink less, or train more consistently, it helps to be around people who are working toward the same goals. That’s where small gyms (yes, like ours) really shine: a community of people working on themselves, and that shared energy is incredibly motivating.
On the flip side, if you’re trying to break a habit—like cutting back on alcohol—it might mean spending a little less time with the people who enable that behavior. That’s not about judgment. It’s about being real with yourself about the environment you need to thrive.
Tweak #4: Building a Streak
Once we’ve started a habit, one of the best ways to keep it is to turn it into a streak.
There’s something powerful about seeing that chain of consistency stack up—whether it’s 7 days, 45 days, or 105 days in a row. Even on the days you really don’t want to, you’re more likely to show up just to keep the streak alive.
The key is to set the bar low enough that it’s doable—even on a hard day.
Here are a few simple streak ideas:
- Eat 5 portions of protein
- Work out for 10 minutes
- Do 5 minutes of stretching
- Eat 4 servings of veggies
It doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be consistent.
Why does this work? Because streaks create momentum. They give us an invested interest in our own progress, and they gamify our efforts. That little win each day can make all the difference.
It’s Not About Overhauling Your Life Overnight
I’m not a huge fan of extreme all-or-nothing transformations. What I am a huge fan of is making small, sustainable changes that work for the real, imperfect life you’re actually living.
Because again—it’s not about being weak.
It’s about being smart.
You don’t need to rely on white-knuckle willpower.
You just need to tweak a few things so that success feels a little easier.
If you’re trying to move more, eat better, and take care of yourself this year, you deserve an environment that supports that. Whether that’s making veggies easier to reach, stacking a habit onto your coffee routine, or joining a gym full of people cheering you on—we’re here to help.
Thank you for reading!
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Ian Smith
Owner, Lead Trainer
Mountain Speed Strength & Fitness
Evergreen, CO.