Learn why the calendar will never clear out for you, and how to break the "I'll start after the holidays" cycle for good on this episode of the Get Sculpted podcast.
Prefer audio? Listen here!
You've made this decision before, even if you never said it out loud. The Halloween candy shows up, the holiday invites start landing, and somewhere in the back of your mind you decide the real start date is January. That's the same decision you made last year, and the year before that, and probably the year before that too. Your brain built a plan for you, and that plan is called "later." The pause becomes the plan, and it feels like progress even though nothing moves. That's the trap this episode takes apart.
Marilynn, Jordanna, and Tijana call out the story so many women tell themselves every fall: I'll start after the holidays. They map the calendar month by month to show there is no open stretch waiting for you, then share the mindset shifts that get you moving now, instead of on some Monday that keeps getting pushed back.
Here's what’s covered:
Why "I'll start after the holidays" feels like a plan even though no action sits behind it, and the relief your brain gets just from picking a future date
A full walkthrough of the calendar, from Halloween through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and straight into a packed Q1, so you can see there is no clear runway coming
How every season carries its own built-in excuse, and what happens when you let that excuse turn into your identity
Trading the “wait for a calm life” plan, for a plan built around the life you have right now
Moving from all-or-nothing thinking to picking one thing today, and why that single choice is what builds real momentum
Why the next choice in front of you, not Monday or January 1st, is the fresh start you keep looking for
The case against motivation as the missing piece, and what a plan built for your actual season looks like instead
Tijana's story about the oncology nurse on TikTok and the one thing people at the end of life wish they hadn't put off
This episode is for the woman who has told herself the same story for the last five or ten years, the one holding a plan she's proud of with no action behind it, and the one who watches January 1st come and go every year and wonders why the story never changes. It's for the woman standing in the middle of Halloween, or Thanksgiving dinner, or a packed December calendar, deciding whether this is finally the year she stops waiting for a clear one.
"The pattern ends when you decide it does." - Coach Jordanna
Nothing about the calendar is going to clear out for you. You get to stop waiting for it to.
Ready to build a plan for the season you're actually living, not the one you keep waiting for? Head to getsculpted.ca/contact and tell them where you're at.
This podcast is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.
More about the Get Sculpted Podcast
Welcome to Get Sculpted, the podcast for women who want to gain muscle and lose belly fat, improve their metabolism, and create real results using science-based fat loss strategies and practical coaching.
We go beyond quick fixes and fad diets to give you sustainable fat loss, strength training for weight loss, and fitness tips for women who want results without burning out. You’ll learn how lifting weights supports fat loss, how to train smarter instead of longer, and how to build habits that fit your lifestyle. Think less about guessing, more about clarity, and about progress you can maintain.
Whether you’re getting started or focused on building muscle after 30, this podcast gives women the tools to lose fat, gain muscle, and feel stronger, without relying on endless cardio or restrictive plans. We emphasize fat loss without cardio extremes, so you can train with confidence and consistency.
We’re your hosts, Jordanna, Marilynn, and Tijana, fitness professionals with over 20 years of combined experience and 1,000+ client transformations. With a strong focus on helping women 30 and older, we specialize in strength training, improving metabolism, and weight training for sustainable, realistic weight loss.
We’ll cover questions like:
Can you build muscle and lose belly fat at the same time?
How does strength training support weight loss?
What’s the best way to lose fat without losing muscle?
What’s the best way to lose fat without relying on cardio?
How can lifting weights improve my metabolism?
Why am I not losing weight even though I’m working out and eating healthy?
How can I stop yo-yo dieting for good?
If you’ve been searching for sustainable fat loss, women’s nutrition, and weight training that actually works, you’re in the right place. Join us every week for practical guidance, honest conversations, and tools to sculpt a stronger body and a more confident life.
Connect with us on Instagram at @getsculted.ca
The unedited podcast transcript for this episode of the Get Sculpted podcast follows:
The Real Reason Nothing Changes
Marilynn [00:01:06 - 00:01:31]: [00:01:06] And the reason nothing has changed is it's not that something's wrong with you or you don't have what it takes. [00:01:10] It's that your strategy doesn't make sense for you. [00:01:14] There's no version of the calendar where things are calm and you have this fresh start. [00:01:20] It just doesn't exist. [00:01:21] It's a fantasy. [00:01:22] So that's what we're calling out today. [00:01:23] We're not calling you out. [00:01:24] We're calling out this fallacy that you will finally have this time where the calendar is clear.
Debunking "I'll Start After the Holidays"
Marilynn [00:01:32 - 00:02:00]: [00:01:32] We're going to tell you why I'll start after the holidays is kind of a lie that your brain is telling you. [00:01:37] And we're also going to look at the calendar and give you a reality check to show you like the calendar is not clear ever. [00:01:43] And then we're going to give you some mindset shifts that'll help you get moving right now so that way you don't have to wait until the other side of the new year, the holiday, whatever it is. [00:01:52] So, Jor, Let's kick it off. [00:01:55] Why does our brain keep telling us it's a great idea to wait? [00:01:58] Wait till after the holidays, wait till the new year.
Brain Tricks: Why We Procrastinate
Jordanna [00:02:01 - 00:02:25]: [00:02:01] I'm gonna tell you. [00:02:02] So it feels like a plan. [00:02:05] That's the nutshell of it all. [00:02:07] By telling yourself, I'm gonna wait till after the holidays, that equals in your brain, the pause is the plan and that you'll come back to it, right? [00:02:18] Our brains love that because it lets you think you're being productive, Without having to do any of the work to get you where you wanna go.Marilynn [00:02:26 - 00:02:26]: [00:02:26] Yes.
The False Security of Future Plans
Jordanna [00:02:26 - 00:03:09]: [00:02:26] So we love in our brain to think that a future start date is the feeling of like, oh, I've got a plan. [00:02:34] It's gonna happen on, you know, January 10th, 2027. [00:02:38] And when I get to January 10th, 2027, I'm gonna start. [00:02:41] And so that puts like your mind at ease in the moment to say, yeah, I don't have to worry about that now. [00:02:47] I can just be in the moment, do what I'm doing now, and not worry. [00:02:51] You get the dopamine hit of, I've got the plan, I know when I'm going to start, I know what I'm going to do. [00:02:57] But the deferral of that means that you're not really getting anywhere between now and then. [00:03:03] And that is the pattern that you end up getting stuck into because there is no perfect date.
There is No Perfect Time
Jordanna [00:03:09 - 00:03:18]: [00:03:09] There is no amazing time to start. [00:03:11] There is no clear calendar. [00:03:13] So you continue to go back to that strategy because it felt good in the moment.Tijana [00:03:18 - 00:03:18]: [00:03:18] Yeah.
Jordanna [00:03:19 - 00:03:20]: [00:03:19] T, do you want to add something?
Tijana [00:03:20 - 00:03:40]:
The Cost of Waiting
[00:03:20] Yeah. [00:03:20] This happens all the time on calls is like, you know, you're speaking to like a prospective client and they're so important to them. [00:03:25] They're so excited. [00:03:26] And it kills me not because like we want them to start now. [00:03:29] It's because I'm sad that they're letting themselves be held back. [00:03:34] Because look, it's fun to dump all the like fun stuff on paper, right? [00:03:38] Or to talk about it. [00:03:38] Like, I want to be this. [00:03:39] I want to be that.Tijana [00:03:40 - 00:03:44]: [00:03:40] I actually just talked about this in therapy yesterday. [00:03:42] But then it's like, okay, great. [00:03:43] Now we're going to— we're going to do it.
Jordanna [00:03:44 - 00:03:45]: [00:03:44] Now what's the action?
Tijana [00:03:45 - 00:03:48]: [00:03:45] Oh, I'm going to do it like now? [00:03:47] Well, I'm not gonna do it now.
Marilynn [00:03:49 - 00:03:49]: [00:03:49] Yeah.
Tijana [00:03:49 - 00:03:55]: [00:03:49] I'm gonna do it after this. [00:03:50] And then you're right, it feels good to, you know, like they say, a goal without a plan is just a wish.
Marilynn [00:03:55 - 00:03:55]: [00:03:55] Yeah.
Tijana [00:03:55 - 00:03:58]: [00:03:55] So the, the talking about it and hyping it up, that's fun. [00:03:57] But that—
Marilynn [00:03:58 - 00:04:06]:
False Sense of Security
[00:03:58] Well, it's a false sense of security, right? [00:04:00] I think you hit it on the head, Jordan. [00:04:01] It's like, uh, oh, I've got, I've got a plan. [00:04:03] I've got a plan. [00:04:04] So it feels like you're doing something. [00:04:05] Yeah, it's coming. [00:04:06] But then—Jordanna [00:04:06 - 00:04:07]: [00:04:06] But there's no action.
Marilynn [00:04:07 - 00:04:07]: [00:04:07] Yeah.
Jordanna [00:04:07 - 00:04:35]:
Identity: The Person Who’s Always About to Start
[00:04:07] And that becomes your identity. [00:04:09] Even if you don't like it or you don't even identify as that person, that is who you are. [00:04:13] You're the person who's always about to just start something. [00:04:17] I did this reel where it's like all of these, these, you know, words that people say. [00:04:21] It's like, sometimes, or maybe, if I can, at some point. [00:04:27] All of those words are this type of person who's putting it off into a future state. [00:04:32] And it's almost like a defense mechanism.Marilynn [00:04:35 - 00:04:35]: [00:04:35] Yeah.
Jordanna [00:04:35 - 00:05:25]:
Avoiding Failure By Delaying Action
[00:04:35] If I don't start now and I'm starting later and everyone knows my plan is to start later, I can't really fail because I'm not really doing any of the work right now. [00:04:44] And that is a compounding mental cost in your head. [00:04:48] Because every time you defer, you reinforce the belief that you can't actually handle the season you're in right now. [00:04:56] Why can't you be the woman that navigates Halloween as just another day, or feels comfortably full after Thanksgiving, or who still gets her workouts in over Christmas and the kids being off school, or going into New Year's making conscious choice for herself? [00:05:12] Like, not having to restart. [00:05:14] It's such an empowering place to be as opposed to sitting in the discomfort of the pain that you're in right now. [00:05:21] I don't like how I look. [00:05:23] I don't like how I feel. [00:05:24] I have all of these symptoms.Jordanna [00:05:26 - 00:05:31]: [00:05:26] I don't like my schedule. [00:05:27] I don't have time. [00:05:28] You're allowing yourself to be the victim. [00:05:30] And by being the victim—
Tijana [00:05:31 - 00:05:32]: [00:05:31] Yes.
Jordanna [00:05:32 - 00:06:02]:
The Mental Cost of Staying Stuck
[00:05:32] You are allowing yourself to stay stuck and stay safe. [00:05:36] And we don't want that for you. [00:05:37] We don't want you to sit in the pain. [00:05:39] For any longer than you need to. [00:05:42] So by flipping the switch and being like, no, I am gonna start, this is what you need to do. [00:05:46] That's the do different ultimately. [00:05:49] So I'm gonna pause my thoughts there because I really would love, T, if you could take us through the calendar part of it, because that's sometimes the hangup for people. [00:05:59] They look at the calendar and they're like, I literally don't see a free day.Jordanna [00:06:03 - 00:06:05]: [00:06:03] So talk us through the psychology of that.
Tijana [00:06:06 - 00:06:27]:
The Busy Calendar Reality
[00:06:06] Yeah. [00:06:06] So this is where I'm such a data-driven person, and that's how we operate in our program. [00:06:10] Because a lot of time people are like, but I'm doing all the right things, but I'm trying so hard. [00:06:13] And it's like, well, look, let's take a look at the opportunities here, right? [00:06:17] Because here's typically how it goes. [00:06:19] I want to actually zoom out here for a second and talk about the year, because a lot of the time women tell themselves like, oh, oh no, no, it's just the holidays. [00:06:25] But it's not. [00:06:26] It's not just the holidays.Jordanna [00:06:27 - 00:06:28]: [00:06:27] Mm-hmm.
Tijana [00:06:28 - 00:06:54]:
Every Season is "Busy" Season
[00:06:28] Because, okay, October's Halloween, and then there's Canadian Thanksgiving, and then November, if you're in the US, that's your Thanksgiving. [00:06:33] And then, of course, the holiday just cascades there, and Christmas, and Hanukkah, and all the whatever holidays you celebrate. [00:06:39] And even if you're not celebrating, doing something big, it's like the winter, and your kids are off, and all these other things are happening. [00:06:44] And there's holiday parties, and there's work events, and then your family's visiting, or you're traveling. [00:06:49] And then, of course, January and February, and your kids are sick, and your kids' schedules are back.Jordanna [00:06:54 - 00:06:54]: [00:06:54] Yeah.
Tijana [00:06:54 - 00:07:22]: [00:06:54] And then you're back to work, and then Q1, and work gets busy. [00:06:59] And it's sweater season, so you're like, let me just put that off, and then, oh, Let me— oh, now it's, it's spring, and oh, it's spring break, and well, it's Easter, and then family. [00:07:08] And don't forget, along this way there's family stuff, right? [00:07:11] Like holidays, birthdays, all the rest. [00:07:13] And things get thrown in, right? [00:07:15] Like you got injury and illness. [00:07:17] Exactly. [00:07:18] Yeah. [00:07:19] And then May and June, oh well, you know, school's ending and I'm really, really busy. [00:07:22] Yep.
Tijana [00:07:23 - 00:07:37]:
Excuses and Adaptation
[00:07:23] Oh, it's wedding season. [00:07:24] Oh, Mother's Day. [00:07:25] Oh my God, well then I have graduation. [00:07:27] It's funny because these are, these are all the things I hear on calls. [00:07:30] They're like, oh no, every time. [00:07:31] It doesn't— it make sense? [00:07:32] I'm not going to start now. [00:07:33] And I'm like, no, it actually doesn't make any sense. [00:07:35] But, you know, oh, but then it's warm now.Tijana [00:07:37 - 00:08:08]:
Summer & The Cycle Repeats
[00:07:37] And then, you know, the July, August, in the actual summer. [00:07:40] So then, of course, September is back to school and all of these start again. [00:07:46] You know, guys, I'm going to say the blunt thing. [00:07:48] All of these are excuses at the end of the day. [00:07:50] And like, when you convince yourself that it's not, you know, we want to reframe that because at the end of the day, like what I always tell myself is there's, there's people out there who are like, you know, have more kids than I do, less free time than I do, and they're doing more than I am, you know? [00:08:03] And I do a lot. [00:08:04] So it's not the season, it's your— the way you're adapting to it.Marilynn [00:08:08 - 00:08:08]: [00:08:08] It's your mindset.
Tijana [00:08:08 - 00:08:35]:
Life is Life: Mindset Matters
[00:08:08] Exactly. [00:08:09] And there's always— life is going to be lifing. [00:08:11] And think about it, if you only got started when there was like this perfect runway of like, ah, there's like a week or two where I don't have it— this is my little— I don't say pet peeve because it doesn't— it's just my thing that I always like to really hammer home. [00:08:23] When a client's like, oh yeah, yeah, don't worry, I'm gonna nail in my nutrition in like in, in 2 weeks. [00:08:28] And I'm like, what do you mean? [00:08:29] They're like, well, you know, that I'll be home. [00:08:29] I'm like, well, We're not going to do nothing for 2 weeks. [00:08:33] We're going to do the best we can. [00:08:34] We're always going to do the best we can.Tijana [00:08:35 - 00:08:55]:
Reframing Consistency
[00:08:35] That needs to be the mindset. [00:08:37] So also, it's reframing on a micro level. [00:08:41] Okay, I can't— maybe over the holidays it's like, I can't get to a gym. [00:08:44] Okay, well, you're going to train from home. [00:08:46] I can't do 60 minutes. [00:08:47] Okay, well, you're going to train for 45 minutes or 30 minutes. [00:08:50] Or a lot of the time, a lot of it, to be honest, is time management anyway. [00:08:53] Like, you're always going to have to eat every day.Tijana [00:08:55 - 00:09:12]:
Building Cornerstone Habits
[00:08:55] That's what gets me is like, you already have an eating pattern. [00:08:58] You just— it might not be a good one. [00:09:00] Right? [00:09:00] It might be like one that's totally skewed. [00:09:02] So anyway, you know, you want to build your habits that are going to keep you going through everything, and that's your cornerstone. [00:09:09] It shouldn't have anything to do with a season of life.Marilynn [00:09:12 - 00:09:12]: [00:09:12] No.
Tijana [00:09:12 - 00:09:30]:
Identity-Based Habits
[00:09:12] Because life is life. [00:09:13] So identity-based habits is what research has shown to be the most effective. [00:09:17] So like, this is something that I embody that I didn't only just internalize. [00:09:21] I— well, all of us embody it, but like, I'm just speaking from personal experiences. [00:09:24] Like, it's just who I am. [00:09:25] I train. [00:09:26] Like, I bring my food. [00:09:27] Like, it's funny because I do things that I don't think of.Tijana [00:09:30 - 00:09:46]:
Practical Example: Building Systems
[00:09:30] Like, I picked up a friend to go to a concert. [00:09:32] We went out for 6 hours, and I had 2 meals packed in a cooler, and I was driving. [00:09:35] She's like, what are you having? [00:09:35] I'm like, oh, Greek yogurt. [00:09:36] She's like, oh my God. [00:09:37] She's like, yeah, I was running late. [00:09:38] I just went through the drive-through. [00:09:39] And that's the thing, I got to have my food ready. [00:09:41] And then she said later, she's like, I love how you always have your food in your Tupperware, and you're driving with your food in the Tupperware.Tijana [00:09:46 - 00:10:03]:
Building Momentum, Not Starting From Zero
[00:09:46] I'm like, yeah, like, I am. [00:09:48] Yeah. [00:09:49] So, you know, and then of course everyone around you might have different standards, and they're starting Monday and on holidays. [00:09:53] So you want to build momentum. [00:09:55] Starting from zero. [00:09:56] I remember a teacher in school told me a thing that was like, oh, always start your homework at school so when you get home you're not starting from scratch. [00:10:02] And that's kind of the same thing.Jordanna [00:10:03 - 00:10:04]: [00:10:03] Yes.
Tijana [00:10:04 - 00:10:10]:
Don't Wait for "Perfect"
[00:10:04] Right? [00:10:04] It's the same thing when you're like, oh, I've already like started a little bit. [00:10:07] Don't wait to be like, oh, I'm gonna start everything together. [00:10:09] That, that makes zero sense.Jordanna [00:10:11 - 00:10:48]:
Good, Better, Best: Consistency Over Perfection
[00:10:11] I always think of, yeah, the saying like good, better, best. [00:10:13] It's like the best scenario is you're doing everything that how you envision it perfectly executed. [00:10:20] Better is you maybe are on the road or there's a tough time or something's happening and you have to modify. [00:10:26] And then good is like, what is your bare minimum that you can execute to maintain some level of consistency? [00:10:33] And that's ultimately what we're wanting to teach our clients, to how to navigate the ebbs and flows of that so that you're not starting in some mythical date. [00:10:42] You're starting now with what you can do and you can achieve. [00:10:45] And like you said, T, like that momentum really does get built from there.Marilynn [00:10:49 - 00:11:21]:
Control What You Can
[00:10:49] That's right. [00:10:49] I did a momentum call on this because by and large, I feel like a lot of people when faced with like the chaos of life, go into this default mode that like, I can't control anything. [00:10:58] So we talked about the spheres of control and we talked about like, okay, we are not naive. [00:11:03] Life is gonna throw so many things at you, things you expect, things that you don't expect. [00:11:07] So in any case, what do you control? [00:11:10] What does that inner circle actually look like? [00:11:12] You can control your thoughts, your behaviors. [00:11:15] Then look at the external sphere of what you can't control. [00:11:18] And when we did that, there were so many women who were like, oh my God.Tijana [00:11:21 - 00:11:21]: [00:11:21] Mm-hmm.
Marilynn [00:11:21 - 00:11:27]:
Breaking the "Either-Or" Mentality
[00:11:21] Like, because they realized that they had always defaulted to, I can work out or I can't work out.Jordanna [00:11:27 - 00:11:27]: [00:11:27] Yes.
Marilynn [00:11:27 - 00:11:29]: [00:11:27] I can eat or I cannot eat on plant-based.
Tijana [00:11:29 - 00:11:30]: [00:11:29] Yes.
Marilynn [00:11:30 - 00:11:34]: [00:11:30] And there is so much middle between 2 extremes.
Jordanna [00:11:34 - 00:11:34]: [00:11:34] Sliding scale.
Marilynn [00:11:35 - 00:11:43]:
Adjust, Don't Abandon
[00:11:35] That's right. [00:11:36] And that's why we always say adjust, don't abandon, because it is so hard to start and stop and start and stop and start and stop versus—Jordanna [00:11:43 - 00:11:44]: [00:11:43] Or never start.
Marilynn [00:11:44 - 00:12:16]: [00:11:44] Or never start versus— and actually, sorry to do another analogy, but I always think of it too as like driving on a road. [00:11:50] Like if I'm Getting in my car and I'm driving somewhere and I hit traffic, I might have to slow my speed. [00:11:56] Or if there's an accident, I might have to do a little detour. [00:11:59] But am I going to just be like, oh, there's traffic, I'm gonna go home, I'm no longer going where I need to go? [00:12:03] You would never do that. [00:12:04] That's what this is. [00:12:05] Your life, your plan is take the detour, slow it when you need to, rev up when you can, but don't stop because you're not going anywhere if you do that. [00:12:15] Rant over. [00:12:15] There you go.
Tijana [00:12:16 - 00:12:43]:
What Really Matters on Your Calendar
[00:12:16] Yep. [00:12:17] I love it. [00:12:17] I love it. [00:12:18] And then, you know, what you said is so powerful, and I know we're gonna talk about the mindset reframes, but I think that this is something that a lot of our clients have had breakthroughs on, is like how your perspective changes. [00:12:29] And definitely when you really map it out like this, it's just what you've known forever and you kind of might see around you. [00:12:34] So you think it's the norm, but it doesn't need to be that way. [00:12:37] Here's the thing. [00:12:38] A lot of things in your life right now, in my life, in all of our lives, are taking up our time and energy that don't belong there.Tijana [00:12:43 - 00:12:59]:
Fitness Belongs at the Top
[00:12:43] So like put something in there that does belong, which is your health and fitness, which you'll never ever regret in your life. [00:12:48] Like, to me, that's when— I'm gonna be honest with you, like, when I hear— and I'm just gonna straight up— if we have a call together and you're telling me that this is not important to get started right away, my first thought is like, what is more important than your fitness? [00:12:59] What?Marilynn [00:12:59 - 00:13:00]: [00:12:59] Than yourself.
Tijana [00:13:00 - 00:13:11]: [00:13:00] Than yourself. [00:13:02] In my mind, I'm like, you are at the top of the pyramid when you are fit and healthy and in shape and feel amazing and look hot and like operate well and perform better. [00:13:09] Like, the pyramid is solid, you know?
Jordanna [00:13:11 - 00:13:12]: [00:13:11] Everything gets better.
Tijana [00:13:12 - 00:13:25]:
Mindset Shifts: What Needs to Change
[00:13:12] It's like a funnel, you know what I mean? [00:13:14] You're funneling down. [00:13:15] So that is how I want you to think, because that's what's going to be best for your well-being. [00:13:20] Mare, I would actually love if you helped us with that, because I think some mindset reframes are needed. [00:13:23] So what are the mindset shifts we need to take?Marilynn [00:13:26 - 00:13:48]:
Mindset Shift 1: There Is No "Settled" Time
[00:13:26] Absolutely. [00:13:26] Okay, so first one we have to work on is the shift from I'll start when things settle down to there is no such time or no such thing as settled. [00:13:36] So we've already gone through that, and I love how you went through the whole calendar, T, because like, again, those are just the known things. [00:13:42] There's that plus all the things that are gonna come up. [00:13:44] So life is never gonna hand you a season where nothing is happening. [00:13:48] Okay?Tijana [00:13:48 - 00:13:48]: [00:13:48] Mm-hmm.
Marilynn [00:13:48 - 00:13:55]: [00:13:48] We've worked with a lot of women, and I, I can speak for myself. [00:13:51] I have never met a woman who has said to me, my life is so smooth and calm and easy.
Tijana [00:13:55 - 00:13:55]: [00:13:55] No.
Marilynn [00:13:55 - 00:14:06]: [00:13:55] 0% of the time. [00:13:57] Right? [00:13:57] So the women who move forward are not the ones who like expect things to slow down. [00:14:03] They've accepted that this is actually my life, so I'm gonna work with it.
Tijana [00:14:07 - 00:14:07]: [00:14:07] Okay?
Marilynn [00:14:07 - 00:14:37]:
Plan For Your Real Life, Not a Fantasy
[00:14:07] So the plan you're waiting to run in your calm life, no, it needs to be the plan you run in your real life. [00:14:12] This life's not gonna slow down. [00:14:13] That you're actually living inside the chaos. [00:14:16] And if you can do it in the chaos, well, just think about when life does slow down, if it slows down, how much you're gonna rock it because you've learned to weather the storm. [00:14:25] So when it's sunny and bright, you've got this on lock. [00:14:29] So that's the first one. [00:14:29] Shift number 2 is moving from all or nothing to do one thing today. [00:14:34] Getting started does not mean you have to do everything.Marilynn [00:14:37 - 00:14:48]:
Mindset Shift 2: Do One Thing Today
[00:14:37] And I know a lot of us battle with that perfectionism. [00:14:40] We're like, We're recovering perfectionists ourselves, right? [00:14:42] It doesn't have to mean perfect meals and training, perfect anything. [00:14:46] That doesn't always exist.Jordanna [00:14:48 - 00:14:48]: [00:14:48] Yeah.
Marilynn [00:14:48 - 00:15:13]: [00:14:48] That rarely exists. [00:14:49] So, how about you start one thing, one thing small enough that, like, you can't fail, and it'll also build momentum, right? [00:14:56] So, I mean, we could go through tons of examples. [00:14:58] We already have, like, you can't do 60 minutes workout, do half an hour. [00:15:01] You can't get 10,000 steps, can you get 5,000 or 6,000? [00:15:05] Like, there are things you can do more so than you're giving yourself credit for, and That all-or-nothing thinking is what got you here.
Jordanna [00:15:13 - 00:15:13]: [00:15:13] Yes.
Marilynn [00:15:14 - 00:15:16]: [00:15:14] The one thing mindset is what's going to get you out of here.
Jordanna [00:15:17 - 00:15:17]: [00:15:17] Yes.
Marilynn [00:15:17 - 00:15:17]: [00:15:17] Okay.
Jordanna [00:15:17 - 00:15:18]: [00:15:17] Agreed.
Marilynn [00:15:18 - 00:15:24]:
Mindset Shift 3: Every Choice is a Fresh Start
[00:15:18] Number 3 is shifting from that Monday fresh start to the next choice is a fresh start.Tijana [00:15:24 - 00:15:25]: [00:15:24] I love this one.
Marilynn [00:15:25 - 00:15:37]: [00:15:25] Right? [00:15:26] You don't have to wait for Monday or January 1st or the day after the holiday party or, you know, again, insert thing here. [00:15:32] Every decision in front of you is a fresh start. [00:15:34] Like, literally right this second can be your fresh start.
Tijana [00:15:37 - 00:15:38]: [00:15:37] Totally.
Marilynn [00:15:38 - 00:16:06]:
Rigid Plans Don’t Work: Stay Dynamic
[00:15:38] So when you really internalize that the reset is always right here in your grasp, the whole idea of falling off and starting over falls apart because there's nothing to fall off of. [00:15:48] Again, think of the drive on the highway. [00:15:50] You're just going forward a little bit faster or slowing down, which is also why rigid plans are just a recipe for disaster. [00:15:57] And we don't adhere to that with our clients. [00:15:59] Your plan has to be dynamic and shift with you. [00:16:01] So again, think about it. [00:16:02] The next choice Over and over. [00:16:04] That's how you build momentum.Marilynn [00:16:06 - 00:16:41]:
Mindset Shift 4: Motivation is Not Required
[00:16:06] And finally, the 4th one is, this is a big one, I need motivation to, I need a plan for the life for the season I'm actually living in. [00:16:15] Motivation is not the missing piece. [00:16:17] It is like 0% the piece that you need. [00:16:20] What you need is a plan that fits the season of life you're in, not the season of life you're waiting for. [00:16:25] So think about it. [00:16:25] Training through the holiday season might look different than I don't know, May or April. [00:16:30] Your nutrition for Christmas dinner, holiday dinner, might not be the exact same as a normal weekday, but your plan has to flex with the calendar and with your life so you're not starting and stopping.Tijana [00:16:42 - 00:16:49]:
Progress is About the Long Game
[00:16:42] And it's like one meal, like, may I just add, or like, you know, even in a week, right? [00:16:46] Like, how many meals is it really? [00:16:48] It's not a week write-off.Jordanna [00:16:49 - 00:17:16]: [00:16:49] Exactly. [00:16:51] And I was gonna add, like, you eventually need to learn how to live through that season as In the ideal state that you wanna be living in, right? [00:16:59] As your best self in your 2.0 version of you. [00:17:02] So at any point in time should be the best point to start because at some point in time in the future, you're gonna have to live that moment through, right? [00:17:12] With the changes that you wanna make. [00:17:14] So why not face it now? [00:17:15] Like, why continue to put it off?
Tijana [00:17:17 - 00:17:17]: [00:17:17] Yeah.
Marilynn [00:17:17 - 00:17:37]:
Don’t Wish Away Your Life
[00:17:17] And I know it sounds cliché, but like, we got one life. [00:17:20] We've got one crack at this. [00:17:21] And when you wait and continuously put things off, Essentially, even more than you're waiting is you're wishing your life away. [00:17:29] Like, the days are going to pass whether you like it or not. [00:17:32] So every time you wait, it's just more time, precious time that you're wasting. [00:17:37] Yes.Tijana [00:17:37 - 00:17:51]:
No Regrets: Lessons from End of Life
[00:17:37] I actually— I just started following this oncology doctor on TikTok. [00:17:41] And she was saying that the people that go on hospice or finish their treatment or are at the end of life, the number one thing they all say is, like, God, I wish I didn't wait. [00:17:49] I wish all the things I kept putting off, I just went for it.Jordanna [00:17:51 - 00:17:52]: [00:17:51] Did them.
Tijana [00:17:53 - 00:17:53]: [00:17:53] Right there.
Marilynn [00:17:53 - 00:17:54]: [00:17:53] 100%.
Tijana [00:17:54 - 00:17:54]: [00:17:54] Right there.
Marilynn [00:17:55 - 00:18:42]:
The Cycle Ends When You Decide
[00:17:55] So what we really want you to focus on from this episode is that the version of you who has been waiting for that, and I'm using air quotes, right time to start, is not the version of you who's going to end this cycle you're in. [00:18:07] She's actually the version who's going to keep this cycle running super strong. [00:18:10] The version of you that breaks the pattern is not going to wait to feel comfortable or motivated. [00:18:16] She just starts in the middle of Halloween. [00:18:19] Thanksgiving dinner, when it's summer holidays, whatever it is, she starts and keeps going. [00:18:25] And, you know, if you do that, when January 1st comes, because it's coming, we know it's coming, you don't need a fresh start because you're already in motion. [00:18:31] So this is what we mean when we say the pattern ends when you decide it does. [00:18:35] It ends with the next choice you make with the woman you want to become in mind instead of the woman who you've been protecting.Marilynn [00:18:42 - 00:19:15]:
Final Thoughts and Invite
[00:18:42] All right? [00:18:42] And you've already lost so many years to that narrative. [00:18:45] That's what we want you to know. [00:18:46] Like, You've been saying this over and over and over, but you don't have to do that anymore. [00:18:50] So we want you to actually look back on this day a year from now and think it's either going to be the day my story changed, or it's going to be the day that I keep telling myself that story. [00:19:01] So if this has struck a chord with you and you know that you've been telling yourself next Monday, next month, but you're not changing a thing, you're in that cycle. [00:19:09] This is where we start with our clients. [00:19:10] We build a plan around the life that they are actually living. [00:19:14] to shift out of that narrative.Marilynn [00:19:15 - 00:19:37]: