Is It Better to Start Your Fitness Goals Before the New Year or Wait? What Research Says
SHOULD YOU START YOUR NEW YEAR’S FITNESS GOALS NOW OR WAIT UNTIL JANUARY?
A REAL, NON-GUILTY GUIDE TO DECIDING WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU
Every year around the holidays, the pressure begins.
You start seeing posts telling you not to “wait for January.” You hear coaches saying that if you truly wanted to change, you would start right now. Some even say that waiting for New Year is just an excuse.
But here is the truth. You are allowed to wait. You are allowed to start now. One choice does not make you more disciplined or more serious than the other.
Think of your fitness journey like a road trip.
Some people like to leave immediately and get a head start. Others want to pack the car properly, map the route, and make sure the playlist is downloaded before they drive. Both cars reach the destination. One just prefers to start prepared rather than rushed.
This blog will help you cut through the noise, understand what the research actually shows, why coaches push urgency, and how to confidently choose the timeline that works best for your life.
1. WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT STARTING NOW VS LATER
Behavior change research is clear. Consistency matters more than timing.
Studies show that people are more likely to follow through when they begin on a meaningful date. Psychologists call this the Fresh Start Effect. That is why people love starting on Mondays or at the beginning of a month. It feels like closing one chapter and entering another.
Think of it like cleaning your house.
You can technically start cleaning right now. But if you know that tomorrow the cleaners come, the laundry is done, and the kids are at school, you will probably do a better job. The timing matters less than whether the circumstances support success.
At the same time, momentum is powerful.
If you start taking small actions now, you are not restarting in January. You are simply continuing forward.
Overall, the evidence shows that starting sooner is not automatically more successful. Starting later is not automatically worse.
What matters most is choosing the path that lets you stick with it.
2. WHY COACHES AND INFLUENCERS PUSH YOU TO START NOW
You may have seen posts saying things like:
“Six weeks is enough time to completely change your body.”
“If you wait, you do not want it badly enough.”
So why do coaches say this?
Because urgency sells.
The fitness industry is competitive. Many coaches feel they will lose you if you wait.
Because they assume your life looks like theirs.
Some coaches do not have children. Some are not dealing with seasonal depression, travel, postpartum recovery, or twelve different holiday obligations.
Because they confuse “right now” with “right forever.”
They think starting today is always better. But if rushing leads to burnout, it is like running too fast at the start of a marathon. It looks impressive for 400 meters, then you are walking.
This does not mean coaches are bad. It just means their messaging is often designed to convert, not to consider.
You are allowed to protect your energy instead of reacting to pressure.
3. QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU
Ask yourself honestly.
How much mental bandwidth do I have right now?
If your life feels like an overflowing cup, adding more will make it spill. If you have space and motivation, pour into it.
Do I want structure or do I just want less chaos?
There is a difference between wanting to step on the gas versus simply wanting to stop rolling backward.
What has happened in previous years?
If waiting leads to procrastination, a small early start may help. If forcing it in December causes burnout, waiting might be wiser.
What does success look like right now?
Success might mean losing body fat.
Success might also mean keeping your head above water through the holidays.
Both are valid.
4. WHAT STARTING NOW REALISTICALLY LOOKS LIKE
Starting now does not mean becoming a different human overnight. It can be as small as:
Hitting your protein target three times per week
Going from five thousand steps to eight thousand
Doing two strength sessions per week instead of four
Reducing alcohol slightly
Getting to bed earlier twice per week
Think of it like dipping your toes into cold water instead of cannonballing in. You may still get in the pool, but easing in helps your body adapt.
Small changes now can make January feel like Chapter Two, not another reboot of Chapter One.
5. WHAT WAITING UNTIL JANUARY STRATEGICALLY LOOKS LIKE
Waiting does not mean pressing pause on your health.
Waiting can look like:
Choosing your January start date now so you are not guessing later
Practicing “maintenance eating” instead of spiraling
Setting one or two boundaries around alcohol or desserts
Looking for a coach and budgeting for coaching in the new year
Tracking without changing anything so you go in with awareness
This is the difference between sitting at a red light and putting the car in park. One is intentional. One is avoidance.
Waiting becomes powerful when you use the time to build mental readiness instead of collecting guilt.
6. HOW TO FEEL CONFIDENT IN YOUR DECISION
Confidence comes from ownership. Not a perfect plan.
Whether you start now with small habits or begin January 1st with full momentum, the most successful people are not the ones who start the earliest. They are the ones who build a strategy that supports their life.
Think of it like planting a tree.
The best day was twenty years ago. The second best day is today.
But only if today is a day you actually intend to water it.
If you plant the seed and walk away, nothing grows.
If you plant it next month and actually care for it, you will still get shade and fruit.
You can start now. You can start later.
The decision is only powerful when it is intentional.
7. A FRIENDLY REMINDER WHICHEVER PATH YOU CHOOSE
You are not behind.
You are not less committed if you wait.
You are not weak if you are choosing energy protection over hustle.
You are also not wrong for wanting to jump in now.
Some people thrive by building momentum early. Others thrive by preparing strategically and then going all in.
Think of yourself like an athlete.
You do not start sprinting while your shoelaces are untied. You take a moment to tie them so you can run without stopping.
Both timelines can work. Both are valid.
You get to choose the one that supports your mental health, your responsibilities, and your long term consistency.
There is no trophy for starting early if you quit in February.
There is also no punishment for beginning in January and sticking with it for the rest of the year.
What matters is not the date you begin. It is the commitment you keep once you begin.
WHEN YOU ARE READY FOR SUPPORT
If you want structure, guidance, and accountability, I would love to help.
My one on one coaching is personalized to your schedule, your goals, and the season of life you are in. Whether you start today or in the new year, we build a plan that fits you, not the other way around.
Send me a message when you are ready. Even if you are still deciding and just want more info. I am here for you either way.
Coach Krys
REFERENCES
Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Riis, J. (2014). The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior.Management Science.
Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology.
Norcross, J. C., Mrykalo, M. S., & Blagys, M. D. (2002). Auld Lang Syne: Success predictors, change processes, and self-reported outcomes of New Year’s resolvers and nonresolvers. Journal of Clinical Psychology.
Wing, R. R., & Phelan, S. (2005). Long-term weight loss maintenance. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., Hofmann, D., & Staats, B. R. (2021). When consequences of failure motivate success: Nudging underperformers to use work time more effectively. Management Science.
Sniehotta, F. F., et al. (2005). Bridging the intention–behaviour gap: Planning, self-efficacy, and action control in the adoption and maintenance of physical exercise. Psychology and Health.