Out on the local trails near my place today, doing a quick dog walk and talk. And it hit me: I haven’t posted one of those “New Year’s resolutions” videos yet… and honestly, I’m okay with that.

Because for a lot of people, New Year’s resolutions turn into something else. A performance!

You post your big plan on Facebook or Instagram, maybe you talk about it on YouTube… and suddenly it’s not just a personal goal anymore. It becomes pressure. It becomes something you feel like you have to prove. Sometimes you even end up making something up just to have “a resolution,” instead of choosing something real.

This year, I’m not even going to share my resolutions. Not because I don’t have goals, I do. But because I want to keep them personal and private, and focus on what actually matters.

Don’t Start With What’s Easy

Here’s the truth: it’s tempting to focus on the things you’re already good at.

For me, health and fitness is in my wheelhouse. It’s not “easy” every day, but it’s familiar. I know how to do it. I know the routines. I know the habits.

So if I said, “This year I’m going to work out more and get leaner,” I mean… sure. That’s fine. But it’s not the area that truly challenges me.

And that’s the point, if you want the new year to actually change your life, you don’t start with what comes naturally. You start with what you avoid.

The Real Starting Point: What You Avoid

If you’re serious about growth, you need an honest look at your life. Not a “highlight reel” look, an honest one.

Make a list of the things you avoid:

• The stuff you’re scared to address

• The stuff you keep putting off

• The stuff that makes you uncomfortable

• The stuff that “isn’t you” (so you tell yourself you’re not good at it)

Those are usually the areas that will make the biggest difference if you tackle them.

And no, you don’t have to fix everything. But that’s where you start, because avoidance is often the thing quietly costing you the most over time.

Funny Thing: The Monster Shrinks When You Face It

One of the weirdest things about facing what you’ve avoided is this:

Once you finally do it… you often realize it wasn’t as big of a deal as your mind made it.

It’s not that it’s effortless. It’s that the fear of starting is usually worse than the work itself.

And when you start chipping away at it, getting a little better, a little more confident, it can even become something you enjoy.

Then you look back and wonder why you avoided it for so long.

If Your “Avoided Thing” Is Fitness

Now, if the thing you’ve been avoiding is health, fitness, diet, exercise, you’re not alone. That’s one of the most common New Year goals for a reason.

Here’s the simple approach that actually works:

Chip away at it. Every day.

Not in a dramatic way. Not in an “all or nothing” way. Just make a promise to yourself:

“Today, I’m going to do at least one thing that moves me forward.”

That could be a workout.
Or a walk.
Or a better meal choice.
Or prepping food.
Or getting to bed earlier.

And if you miss a day here and there? No big deal.

Just get right back on it.

Consistency beats intensity, especially when you’re building a lifestyle you can keep.

Keep It Personal. Keep It Real.

My advice for the new year is simple:

Stop performing. Start improving.

Be true to yourself. Be honest with yourself. Identify the areas you’ve been avoiding, and deal with them one by one, day by day.

That’s how real change happens!