Good Morning, High Performers.
It’s 2025, and I’m sure gyms will be swamped this week.
I personally don’t think that’s a bad thing, even if you do.
That being said, I don’t own a gym membership, so I can’t relate 🤷♂️
On Monday we talked about goal-setting, and why it’s okay to fail.
Did you take Monday’s newsletter and start planning?
Maybe you did, but today, I’m curious about how you planned.
Be honest: you probably read it and thought about your goals, and then maybe moved on.
How you set your goals matters, and if I’ve got any advice for the new year, it’s that writing things down is the best way to kickstart your fitness.
Newsletter Summary:
A study on the net worth of graduates who wrote things down vs. those who didn’t
A compelling case for writing things down in all aspects of life.
✍️ My Top Fitness Advice for 2025: WRITE THINGS DOWN!
Turns out, there’s actual science to back up the idea that writing can help you achieve things.
Well, some smart scientists put this idea of writing to the test in a research study.
A (probably) tired Yale researcher back in 1953 asked graduating seniors if they had written down their goals.
Only 3% had.
Fast-forward 20 years, and the researcher reached back out to that 3% to check in on them.
And that 3% was out-earning the other 97% combined.
What does that tell us? Writing things down works.
And yes, it was Yale, not Harvard, as pointed out by Beyond the Rut.
This study often gets misquoted and misnomered as a Harvard study, but it wasn’t.*
*Harvard gets too much credit for stuff, anyway.
When it comes to fitness, your goals aren’t just a list; they’re a map.
Want to lose weight? Build muscle? Run a 5K without looking like a sweaty noodle?
Write these things down.
Seeing written goals somewhere (a notebook, a phone screensaver — my personal favorite when goals are urgent — or a whiteboard) can have massive implications for accountability.
And not just “I’m gonna do ____ (insert goal).”
Write down the steps that will lead you to that goal every day.
Putting pen to paper (or thumbs to Notes app) isn’t just symbolic; it’s a commitment.
And before you say “I don’t have the time to do this,” it really shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes a day.
If you’re spending longer than that, I’ve got news for you:
This goes for all Aspects of Life
Another study published by the Dominican University of California found that people who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them. That’s almost half — and way better odds than “winging it.”
Writing your fitness goals won’t magically get you to a six-pack, but it will get you off the couch and into action.
So, grab a pen, a planner, or even a planning app on your phone if you’re writing-phobic.
Get specific.
Be realistic.
And then go crush it.
TL;DR: Stop hoping for results and start planning for them.
Winging it works great for karaoke night, but not fitness.
See you all on Friday!
Happy New Year