Are You In Second Gear?
It’s five weeks into 2025, are you in gear?
When the new year rolls in, we tend to launch full speed ahead. Business plans, budgets, personal goals, resolutions, intentions, and dreams come pouring out. Fueled by corporate strategy cycles, gym “challenges,” social media hype about making this “your best year yet,” and the inevitable questions from friends and family: “So, what are you aiming for this year?”
As the disciplined and diligent person you are (obviously), you mapped out a clear strategy, set your goals, signed up for the gym challenge, re-read Atomic Habits, and even committed to intermittent fasting. But now? It’s starting to feel a bit overwhelming. You don’t feel like the superhero you expected to be. In fact, you might even feel like you’re slipping behind—or worse, gasp—like a failure. So… what happened?
It’s like this—if you’ve ever been stuck in the snow with a stick shift, you know that flooring it just makes the wheels spin. The trick? Shift into second gear. Once the tires catch, you start moving. Sometimes, you have to stay in second for a while, easing through the slippery spots. But as conditions improve and your confidence grows, you shift into third, then fourth. And when the road finally opens up? You hit the highway, shift into fifth, and fly.
The new year works the same way. In January, we blast out of the gate, full of energy and ambition. Then February rolls around, and those strategies, intentions, new habits, and resolutions either start gaining traction… or they don’t. If you’re feeling momentum, great. If not, what’s getting in the way?
More often than not, we’ve overloaded ourselves. It’s like being stuck in the snow with a car full of too many passengers, too many snacks, and more drinks than cupholders. We can’t commit to a playlist or podcast. We know where we want to go, but we’re second-guessing the route. It looks a little too hard. We want more rest stops. Another coffee. Maybe a maple donut. Overwhelm sets in.
So, now what?
Job one, stop beating yourself up for getting stuck in the snow. Stop yelling at the passengers in the car. Stop questioning the route you’ve chosen.
Take a deep breath, and SIMPLIFY:
- · Give yourself 20 seconds to commit to a playlist/podcast and DON’T CHANGE IT until you’ve listened to the whole thing
- · If you’ve got the wrong passengers in the car, change them out. Keep a trusted friend for the ride. Someone who knows you. The kind of friend that will jump out of the car to push if you get stuck again
- · Make a rule of one drink per cupholder. An energy bar and an apple are just fine as a snack, and will sustain you for longer than a bag of Doritos
- · Commit to the route. It’s fine – it will get you there. And if it looks too hard, remind yourself that you only get to see the view from the top if you drive up the mountain. And you love a good view
Go forth and conquer. You’ve got this.