STOP!! Making New Years Resolutions!! Make a Plan That Works Instead

New Year resolve is loud, but it’s not a plan. We’re kicking off 2026 by saying the quiet part out loud: most resolutions crumble because they’re vague, unrealistic, and built on motivation that fades by week two. I break down why two out of five people quit within 30 days, how “effort without strategy equals burnout,” and what to do instead when life gets messy, schedules bend, and your body hasn’t agreed to a six-day grind.

We walk through normal early setbacks—soreness, fatigue, a scale that doesn’t budge—and reframe them as signs of adaptation, not failure. You’ll learn how to beat all-or-nothing thinking with minimum viable workouts, design around friction points like distance and time, and build a routine that survives imperfect weeks. I share practical guidance for structuring your plan with four anchors: what you’ll do, where you’ll do it, when you’ll do it (same days and times for eight weeks), and why it matters beyond aesthetics. If the future you wants to get off the floor with grandkids, carry groceries without strain, and move with confidence, your training should reflect that vision now.

You’ll also hear honest talk about fear, pain, and coming back after setbacks, plus how to use recovery, mobility, and small wins to keep momentum. No guilt, no drama, no cookie-cutter templates—just a clear, flexible system that fits your real life. If you’re ready to stop starting over every January, this conversation is your blueprint for consistent, sustainable progress.

Subscribe for more grounded, actionable wellness insights, share this with someone rethinking resolutions, and leave a review to tell us the one change you’ll commit to this week.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Mission Of The Show
• 0:44 Sponsors And Invitation To Listen
• 1:14 New Year Resolutions On Blast
• 2:06 Why Resolutions Fail Fast
• 3:38 Effort Without Strategy Equals Burnout
• 5:06 Motivation’s Rise And Crash
• 6:02 Expectations, Soreness, And Normal Progress
• 7:07 Real-Life Constraints And Imperfect Weeks
• 8:13 Fear, Pain, And All-Or-Nothing Traps
• 10:00 Shift From Outcomes To Process
• 11:05 Build Your Plan: What, Where, When, Why
• 12:20 Your Why: Mobility, Aging, Grandkids
• 13:30 Invitation To Get Personalized Help

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to the Sisters in Service Podcast, the space where stories from active duty veterans, military spouses, and even military brats finally get the spotlight they deserve. I'm your host, Kat Corchado, Air Force veteran, movement specialist, and the heart behind this podcast. I started Sisters in Service because too many stories from our community were going untold. Stories of resilience, transition, identity, and the strength it takes to serve and to thrive beyond the uniform. This podcast is about connection, empowerment, and reminding each of us that our service didn't end when our military chapter closed. It simply evolved. Sisters in Service is proudly sponsored by Fit for Life Alliance, a space where people are committed to feeling better in their bodies every single day, and by MySexy Business, where you can own a business that doesn't own you. So grab your coffee, your journal, or your walking shoes because every episode is an invitation to listen, learn, and lean into the powerful stories that remind us service is a sisterhood that never fades. Welcome everyone to the first episode of 2026 for Why Not Wellness. I'm Kat Cortati, your movement specialist. You know, it's it's a new year, which means it's officially New Year's resolution season. You know, I wish the lottery was as easy to predict as New Year's resolutions, because I would win all the time and I wouldn't mind that. You know, gyms are packed, everyone's suddenly drinking green smoothies, and we're all saying, okay, this time I'm really gonna do it. And if you've already made a health or fitness resolution or you've made the same one for the last few years, then this episode is for you. So I'm here to tell you something that might be really unpopular. They just don't work. Resolutions don't work. Please, please stop making New Year's resolutions when it comes to your fitness. You know, the research shows about two out of every five people who start working out quit within the first wait for it 30 days. Think about that for a second. Maybe I'm talking to you. Maybe I'm talking to someone you know. And that's not because people don't care or you're not trying. It's because most resolutions are vague, they're unrealistic, and built on motivation, which, you know, if we're being honest, disappears real fast once life hits the you know what fan. So today we're talking about why resolutions fail, why we somehow plan weddings, trips, babies, puppies better than we plan our own health, and what actually works instead. So we're gonna break this down about how making a plan will work for you, the what, the where, the when, and most importantly, your why can change everything. So if you're tired of starting over every January and want something that actually fits your real life and not a fantasy version of it, you're in the right place. So let's get to it. Earlier, I mentioned about two out of every five people who start working out quit within the first 30 days. And every time I say that number, people are shocked. But I'm not, because I see this all the time. Most people don't quit because they don't care. They quit because they start like they're training for the Olympics. When last week they were just trying to remember where their sneakers were. And I'm like, huh, because your body didn't agree to this lifestyle change. I've had people come to me and say, I'm working out six days a week. Why am I exhausted and sore all the time? Again, your body didn't agree to this lifestyle change. We go from zero movement to boot camp style workouts, high intensity, sweating buckets, pushing through soreness, like it's a badge of honor. And listen, I love the effort. I really do. But effort without strategy, that's burnout waiting to happen. So effort minus strategy equals burnout. There's a combination for you. Then there's motivation. You know, motivation is great. Motivation is fun. I'm motivated to eat ice cream because I love ice cream. I'm motivated to move because I know how my body's gonna feel afterwards. I'm motivated to go somewhere that's fun, like riding a roller coaster. It's fun. Motivation is also wildly unreliable. Motivation is high on January 1st. It's decent the first week. And then work gets stressful. You don't sleep well, someone gets sick in your family, you miss a workout, and then two, and then six, and then 10. And suddenly the whole plan just goes, collapses. And that's because the plan was never a plan. It was, I'll do this as long as it feels good. I'll do this as long as it I like it. Another big reason people quit expectations. People expect to feel amazing right away, to see changes fast, to step on the scale and be rewarded with their very first effort. But what actually happens in the first few weeks, you're sore, you're tired. The scale may not move at all. It might even go up. And you start thinking, is this even working? This is where I see people get discouraged, not because they're failing, but because no one told them what normal actually looks like, a normal workout for your body. It's like a prescription. If we both go to the same doctor for the same exact thing, you might get one prescription and I might get a different prescription because of our bodies. We're all different. The workouts are too long, the gym is too far, the schedule assumes you have unlimited time and energy. Which, spoiler alert, most adults don't. If your workout plan only works on a perfect week, it's not a good plan. Because perfect weeks are rare. Let me stop right there. I've been in the fitness industry for 42 years, 41, 42, somewhere in the 40s. There are days when I don't wake up saying, who can't wait to work out. There are days when I don't want to work out, but I start off slow and I do it, and then I start to feel better. So please don't think that I just can't wait to get in that gym, can't wait to get in my room and do that workout. That's not me, you guys. So perfect weeks are rare. Pain and fear are another big one, especially for people who are new to exercise or coming back after time off of an injury. Honestly, I don't blame people for that. It's scary. I had a knee issue, and even though I kept working out, it was always in the back of my mind of what's going on with this. And then there's the all or nothing mindset. Miss one workout, what's the point? Eat one off-plan meal, cool. Guess I ruined everything. Most people don't dramatically quit, they just slow quit. They stop showing up. They stop showing up at the gym. They stop showing up for themselves. So when you hear that two out of five people quit within 30 days, I don't want you to hear failure. I want you to hear a system that isn't working. Because if willpower was the problem, people wouldn't keep trying every January. They'd already be done. And let me talk to the all or nothing people for a second. I have people come in all the time. They say, Oh, I want to walk five miles. I want to do two workouts of Pilates when they haven't done any ever. It's not the doing that's the problem, it's the recovery. So have you ever worked out? Maybe you went on a hike. It was just for fun. And you woke up the next day and you're like, yes, I did it. And then the second day you woke up and you felt like you were hit by a MAC truck. It's called DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness. And as you get older, it shows up every like the second day after you've worked out. Where you kind of go, Oh my god, what it why am I sore here? So I just want to put that out there. So this is why exactly, or exactly why, resolutions don't work. They focus on the outcome, but not the process. And what's wild to me is that we plan everything. So why do we think we could just wing our health and fitness? Instead of a resolution, what if you made a plan? The what? What are you gonna do? Are you gonna walk? Great. Do you have the shoes to walk? Great. Where? Where are you going to walk? You're gonna walk around your building? You're gonna walk in the park? When? What day? What time? And let me put something in there. Make it, if you're new to this, make it the same day, the same time. At least for the first eight weeks. Because if you don't, you'll forget. And most importantly, your why. Please don't say, Oh, I want to feel better. I want you to close your eyes for a second. No, I'm serious. Close your eyes. If you haven't worked out at all or ever, think about picture your body as it is right now. Picture your health. Are you having problems getting up and out of a chair? Getting off the floor? What's it gonna be like 10 years from now? Not so much what do you look like, but how are you moving? Maybe you have grandchildren on the way. Can you get on the floor with them? Could you get up off the floor with them? Could you play outside, kick a ball? So that's exactly what I'm talking about. You want a plan that actually fits your real life, your body, and your schedule. So I know what you're thinking. Okay, I want help figuring this out. Or maybe you're not thinking that, but maybe you should. I got you. You don't have to do this alone. Let's talk about it. Let's reach out to me and let's build a plan that's realistic, sustainable, and tailored to you. No cookie-cutter workouts, no guilt, no drama. There's not going to be any sales pitch because my goal is to help at least one person get on track. One person. And my mantra is and always has been I want everyone to feel right in their body. Everyone has the right to feel good in their body. You have the right to feel good in your body. And if you're not feeling good, that what needs to change? And if you don't know what to what needs to change, then let's talk about it. So if there's one thing I want you to remember from today, you don't need more motivation. You don't, please don't need another resolution. You need a plan that works for your life. Motivation will come and go. Life will get messy, and there will be days that don't go perfectly, and that's okay. Progress doesn't come from perfection, it comes from consistency, strategy, and a plan that actually fits you. So if this episode hit home, share it with someone. Someone who's already questioned their New Year's resolutions. And reach out to me if you're ready to finally stop starting over every January. So thanks for hanging out with me today. I'll catch you in the next episode. Remember, stop winging it and start planning it. So until next time, this is your movement specialist. As always, I'm going to say, let's keep it moving. Happy 2026, you guys.