How has your first week of January gone?
I often refer to it as “weaning week” — that slightly awkward phase where Christmas is still being cleared away, but we’re also attempting to slide back into something resembling normality.
As much as I enjoy a break from routine, I also thrive on structure. And sometimes regaining that structure simply takes time. January doesn’t help much, does it? Cold. Dark. Short days. Long nights. And this week we’ve even had snow and ice thrown in — just to keep things interesting.
So the thought of suddenly finding the energy to jump back into work, training, nutrition, steps and routine can feel… a lot.
But if you’ve been here a while (and if you read last week’s newsletter), you already know what to do and getting back into routine can actually be quite simple.
It’s keeping it going that’s the tricky bit.
Especially when you’re at maintenance, or close to your original goal. The rewards feel smaller. There’s no big adrenaline rush of “new goals”. Maintenance is quieter. More consistent. And, often, harder. So it’s understandable if the urge to leap enthusiastically back into normality feels… limited.
And that’s okay.
Because the real work is simply returning to your baseline — again and again.
But if you already know what to do… why is it still a struggle?
And no — the answer is not “because I’m useless.”
It’s usually because:
• You’re busy
• Life is full
• You get tired
• Decisions pile up
• You aim for perfect and then do nothing
• Or you quietly avoid reflecting on choices
Motivation also has a funny habit of disappearing at the exact moment you need it. Rude, really.
So when we rely on motivation and willpower alone, we eventually run out of both.
What actually helps?
Structure.
Accountability.
Organisation.
Honesty.
This is where maintenance really begins.
Not when you’re “on a plan”, but when you’re simply living life — and still choosing behaviours that support you.
And yes, that is difficult.
Because maintenance requires consistently returning to your baseline… even when it isn’t exciting. Even when nobody claps.
But that’s also where the freedom is — when this becomes your normal, not your temporary project.
So if you’ve ever thought:
“I know what to do. Why can’t I just do it?”
It’s not a knowledge problem… It’s a structure problem.
And that’s exactly what I love helping people to build — the systems, routines and accountability that make consistency possible.
Next week, we’ll talk about how to actually build that baseline so you’re not relying on motivation alone.
For now, keep it simple, don’t go crazy and overload yourself with too much too soon. Just focus on 2 litres of water and ~10,000 steps.
Simple. Steady. Back to baseline
This week we kicked off the 21-Day CORE RESET Challenge. This is a fitness and habit hacking challenge to get us back on track in the New Year. It’s all run via the FlighFit app and you can jump on board at a reduced rate all through January, you can sign up at any point and get going!