The Biggest Mistakes We Make In January

New Year - New Me. Something we have all said at some point in our lives! There’s no doubt that a new year is a great opportunity to reset and refresh your daily habits but it’s easier said than done! Here’s some of the common mistakes we make in the first month of the eyar and how to avoid them…

Going too hard too soon

We all feel that motivation in the first few days of January. Wanting to burn off all the Christmas calories, wanting to be fitter and healthier and more often than not we over do it in the first week. Whilst we applaud your enthusiasm to get going - we would advise that you start slwo and build up uring the first month of the year. If we pour all our energy into the first week then there is very little elft to get us through the month - this is when we hit the wall and give up.

So keep it gradual, don’t hit the gym seven days a week, start with 2-3 times and build it up.

The Cold Turkey Approach

One of the first things to come up in the new year is a discussion about improving our diet and a healthier eating plan. This is a very positive change to make but it needs to be done in a sensible and realistic way. More often than not we think that the best way is to completely cut out all sugar, alcohol and saturated foods from our diet in one go. Whilst it is not bad to be cutting these foods out, when you are used to having them on a regular basis it’s very hard to suddenly go cold turkey. We find it too hard and we give up. Instead, try to first cut down the amount of these foods that you have so that you gradually ease them out of your daily diet. This will be easier and will help to make the chnage sustainable.

Setting too many goals at once

It’s great to have resolutions and things to work towards in January, it helps to give us focus and motivation in the colder and darker months. However, a common mistake that we make is to set too many goals at once and then become overwhelmed. It’s much better to pick one or two smaller goals that you can work to alongside each other rather than lots of big goals such as losing weight and not drinking alcohol.

By selecting one or two specific goals, you are more likely to achieve them which will further motivate you and stop you giving up halfway through the month.

Found these tips helpful? You may like to check out the following articles:

2025 Goal Setting Guide - https://www.elevatefitness.uk/blog/2025-goal-setting-step-by-step-guide

Maintaining Good Habits - https://www.elevatefitness.uk/blog/maintaining-good-habits

Reviewing Your Goals - https://www.elevatefitness.uk/blog/reviewing-your-goals