A Fitter New Year

Reading Time: 5 Minutes

Hey Brothers,

Happy New Year! 

I hope you had a joyous Christmas time with your family and friends! 

By now, I’m sure most of you have shifted your focus to thinking about what you hope to accomplish in the new year. For most of us, that includes getting into better shape by eating better or working out more. 

In last week’s LDT Letter, I asked readers three questions:

1. Will you be healthier and more fit in 2026?

2. How will your life change to make this possible? 

3. How much would you bet on your likely success? 

Let’s take a quick look at each of these three questions.

First, will you be healthier and more fit in 2026? 

I’m sure that most of us would like to be! According to Pew Research, the top resolution or improvement goal every year involves health and fitness - things like losing weight, eating better or working out more. 

Second, how will your life change to make this possible?

Are you a resolutions guy? Someone who starts fresh with a new attempt every January, only to realize that your plans aren’t working by late January or mid-February?

One of the challenges of resolutions is that they are typically built on an all-in approach. You commit yourself to your new goal, like going to the gym every day, assuming that you can rely on your ample supple willpower to make it happen.  

And third, how much would you bet on your likely success?

I know that this is a bit of an unfair question, because no one can predict how well they are going to succeed at a new undertaking. But, whether you’re betting real money, your time or your future health, it's important to consider the probability of achieving the outcome you’re chasing. The best approach is to maximize the probability of success at the lowest potential cost. 

There are usually two problems associated with the typical New Year’s resolution approach to health and fitness. The first is the finite nature of our willpower. Its not unlimited. Plus, we have to rely on that limited amount of willpower across every area of our lives - not just our fitness pursuits. As a result, willpower alone typically isn’t enough!

Second, we have to deal with the pressure of our other time commitments. If you’re a man with a job, a family and other outside commitments, time is your most valuable commodity! And over time, these competing time commitments will exert their own priorities on your fitness goals, demanding to be your top focus. Fitting it all in becomes a major challenge. 

Often, it's the time conflicts that derail your fitness plans before your willpower is exhausted.

Note: My goal here is not to be a “Debbie-downer,” discouraging you from launching a new fitness campaign in the new year.

But, I’ve done the research and I know that most New Year’s resolutions are finished by March 1st. And, that most guys aren’t able to achieve the outcomes they wanted. And, that I think there’s a better way to achieve the health and fitness you’re looking for.

Systems Over Goals

Goals and resolutions are over-rated!

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says:

“We don’t rise to the level of our goals. We fall to the the level of our systems.” 

By this, Clear is stating that our resolutions and willpower will only take us so far. To maximize your chances of achieving your objective, choose a systems-based approach  over a goals-based approach. 

The Achievement Equation

Goals and resolutions are simply aspirations. While that’s useful, they are merely the What component of the achievement equation: 

Achievement = What x How

or, more specifically:

Achievement = What (your goal) x How (your willpower)

In this case, the How component is your willpower, which, as we noted above, is finite. As a result, the probability of Achievement will likely be LOW.

Now consider using systems instead of just using goals alone. Willpower is replaced by Systems so the Achievement Equation becomes:

Achievement = What (your goal) * How (your system)

When willpower is replaced by a system, the probability of achieving your desired outcome INCREASES. 

Systems are Stacks of Habits

The simplest way to think about systems is to imagine them as a set of simple, easily repeatable processes - or habits. When you create a set of useful habits that work well together, you have a simple, yet effective system.

Most of us have systems like this that we don’t even think about. For example, when you leave your home, you typically make sure that you have what you need by running through a quick mental checklist (keys, wallet, glasses, phone, etc.). That’s an effective system.

I’ve built a similar simple system for fitness and weight management that I call the ThriveLife that I’ve been following for more than 12 years. It's actually a stack of six simple habits that I practice every day. After 12 years, it's part of my autopilot that guides me through my day. Here’s a quick summary of my ThriveLife habit stack:

1. Eat Smarter - a strategic eating plan that transformed food from being my worst enemy to being my fitness secret weapon. Read more about it here and here.

2. Keep Moving - I use Zone 2 cardio (walking) as my primary way to exercise. It's the best fat-burning tool and people who get 7,000 steps a day or more have significantly lower death rates than non-walkers. Read more here.

3. Daily Meal Planning - 5 minutes of meal planning in the morning helps me avoid 100s of calories every day. Read more here. 

4. Daily Weigh-ins - takes just 1 minute. This is a Jedi mind trick for weight loss. Read more here.

5. Sleep Better - Sleep really matters for weight loss, fitness and cognitive health. Most of us don’t get enough quality sleep. This is my #1 focus area these days. Read more about my night-time ritual for better sleep here.

6. Train Smart - I do strength training 3 times a week, because muscle matters. Read more about my smart training strategies here. 

My ThriveLife approach is a food-first, gym-optional approach to lose weight, get fit and stay forever fit - without crazy diets or grueling workouts. It's a food-lovers approach to fitness and weight loss. 

If you’re looking to lose 20 or more pounds in 2026, and keep it off, you should check out the ThriveLife. Later in January, I’ll be launching several new products to help you develop a ThriveLife you will love.

And remember, God loves us. He wants us to thrive. So, let’s go!

Thanks for reading this week.

I write this newsletter to make a positive impact on the lives of men and their families. If you found this information useful, please consider subscribing to receive new editions each week. And, please share this with friends or family that would benefit from the ThriveLife!

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