6 Surprising Things You Can Do Before New Year’s to Set Up a Healthier, Stronger 2026

Most people wait until January 1st to start fresh.

They tell themselves they’ll “be better next year” while December quietly stacks more stress, more skipped workouts, more late nights, more sugar, and more guilt.

But here’s what I’ve learned coaching thousands of people over the last 20 years:

January doesn’t save you.

December prepares you.

And if you use these next few weeks intentionally, you can walk into 2026 with momentum, confidence, and a foundation that actually lasts.

Here are six powerful, outside-the-box things you can do right now,

things most people never think about, to completely change your trajectory.

1. Make One Goal Public, and Put It Where You Can’t Ignore It

People think goals fail because they weren’t motivated enough.

Nope.

Goals fail because they stay private.

When you tell a friend, coworker, spouse, or even write it on a sticky note visible at your desk, you create a tiny bit of pressure — the good kind.

A public goal forces alignment.

A private goal allows excuses.

Action Step

Write ONE fitness or health goal for 2026 and put it somewhere you’ll see it every day:

• your desk

• your bathroom mirror

• your phone wallpaper

• your kitchen cabinet

Let your environment pull you forward.

2. Build Your Minimum Effective Dose Plan (Your Real Starting Point)

Most people try to overhaul their entire life on January 1st:

New workout plan

New diet

New supplements

New schedule

New discipline

And by January 10th, they’re exhausted.

The people who succeed?

They start now, with minimum effective dose habits that are impossible to fail.

Your December wins create your January confidence.

Action Step

Choose a 3–4 habit checklist like this:

• 20-minute workouts

• 100–120 ounces of water

• Protein first at every meal

• 10 minutes of mobility

• 7-hour sleep minimum

Hit 80% of those between now and New Year’s and you’ll enter 2026 already winning.

3. Clean Out Your Mental Pantry (It Matters More Than Your Kitchen)

Everyone talks about “cleaning out the junk food” in December.

But nobody talks about the mental clutter that destroys momentum:

• perfectionism

• all-or-nothing thinking

• “I blew it today I’ll start again Monday”

• negative self-talk

• identity sabotage (“I’m just not consistent”)

If you don’t remove these thoughts, no diet or workout plan will stick.

Action Step

Write down the top three mental patterns you’re leaving behind in 2025.

Then write the upgraded identity you’re choosing for 2026.

Example:

Leaving behind: “I don’t have time.”

Replacing with: “I make time for my health.”

This shift alone changes the entire year.

4. Set a Fitness Appointment Before January Starts

Everyone waits until after the holidays to “figure out a plan.”

But you know what actually gets people moving?

Booking the thing.

When you schedule a class, a session, or a coaching call, you create a future commitment your brain must honor.

Action Step

Before December ends:

Book an intro class, a personal training session, or a coaching call, even if it’s for January.

The appointment shapes the athlete.

5. Train Your Evening Routine, Not Just Your Morning One

January fitness plans almost always include big morning changes:

Waking up earlier

Morning workouts

Meal prep

Cold plunges

Meditation

But none of that works if your evening routine is a disaster.

Your sleep, recovery, willpower, and morning readiness are all determined the night before.

Action Step

Pick one evening upgrade:

• Screens off 90 minutes before bed

• Warm shower or light stretching

• Set tomorrow’s top 3 tasks

• Bedroom cooler and darker

• Put your phone across the room

Fix the night → Fix the morning → Fix the habits.

6. Choose a Training Partner (Before You Choose a Program)

People think programs build consistency.

They don’t.

People build consistency.

A training partner, or a coach, class community, or accountability buddy, multiplies your chances of sticking with a plan by 2–5x, depending on the research.

The perfect workout plan is useless if you follow it alone and motivation fades.

Action Step

Pick ONE person to be your partner in 2026:

• a coworker

• a family member

• a friend

• or me (and my online coaching system)

Once you have a partner, the program takes care of itself.

Your 2026 Success Starts Before the Calendar Changes

If you do even two of these six things before January hits, your new year will feel completely different.

If you do all six?

You won’t be “starting fresh” in 2026

you’ll be building on momentum you created in December.

And momentum is everything.

If you want help creating a plan that fits your life, your schedule, and your goals, whether online or in person, I’m here.

Here’s to a stronger, healthier year ahead.

Rob Vest II