Quietly Quit Relentless Striving
Happy Quitter's Day [https://nationaltoday.com/quitters-day/]!
Today we're talking about why it is that most folks fall off of their New Year Resolutions by the 2nd Friday in January and what we can do about it - with a counterintuitive call to quietly quit overfilling our plates and say goodbye to relentless striving. What if "enough" was the goal all along? Tune in for my take on anti-hustle reflection and intention, and why filling my plate to 70% full is feeling supportive, along with some strategies you can try to add some mindfulness, awareness, and connection (plus peace!) to your year.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
* Previous Episodes of Better with Becky [https://gram.betterwithbecky.com/podcasts], including a previous episode on the WOOP goal-setting methodology if that feels supportive as you reflect on intentions for the new year:
* Book Recommendations:
* Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman [https://www.oliverburkeman.com/fourthousandweeks]
* Atomic Habits by James Clear [https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits]
* Longevity/Healthspan Reads by Peter Attia & Atul Gawande [https://beckygram.com/posts/497/2025-04-02-learning-lately-recommended-reads-on-longevity-aging-and-healthspan]
* Related: How I lowered my cholesterol [https://beckygram.com/posts/961/2025-08-21-even-fit-females-arent-immune-to-this-risk]
* In your 20s Reel / Letter to my Younger Self - re: keeping your Plate 70% full so you have bandwidth to notice and say yes to to more of what matters [https://beckygram.com/posts/1285/2026-01-07-a-letter-to-my-younger-self]
* Free WOOP Goals Guide [https://static-cdn.betterwithbecky.com/assets/tutorials/woop_goals-ac4b56c3.pdf] + Explainer Reel of how to Woop Your Life [https://gram.betterwithbecky.com/posts/992/2025-09-02-woop-your-life]
* Which Tree are you Cultivating? - a Mindfulness Metaphor to Quiet, Sustainable Habit Change [https://medium.com/better-better/which-tree-are-you-cultivating-3b7f62152286]
* The 5 Whys Exercise [https://assets.precisionnutrition.com/2019/08/worksheet-the-5-whys.pdf] to get to your deeper “Why” for a goal
TIPS AND TAKEAWAYS TO TRY TO APPLY YOURSELF
* Mindfulness as a wedge to get some space and gain perspective
* (Try 3 deep breaths, with exhales that last longer than your inhales, to switch from "Fight or flight" Sympathetic system to "Rest and Digest" Parasympathetic mode & regulate your nervous system - placing a hand on your chest also helps stimulate the vagus nerve [https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22279-vagus-nerve] and calm you down)
* Choose goals that come from a place of intrinsic motivation [https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-intrinsic-motivation-2795385], as opposed to seeking external validation (and don't be afraid to have a goal just for fun, as long as you know your deeper why [https://assets.precisionnutrition.com/2019/08/worksheet-the-5-whys.pdf] and how it ties to your values in some way!)
* Zoom Out: track your qualitative energy & vitality, not just your quantitative productivity or data/stats
* Related: Spend time in nature, research shows it supports physical & mental wellness, regulates circadian rhythm to help improve sleep [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8892387/], and increases motivation & vitality. Japan calls it forest bathing [https://tfb.institute/scientific-research/]!
* Focus on fewer small, consistent - atomic! - habits [https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits] - rather than more, bigger, dramatic changes. Consistency breeds self-trust, which cultivates momentum over time as you start to identify with the few daily practices that feel deeply connected to you, and they become more effortless and automatic with time!
HOW TO KEEP UP WITH ME
* The next Build with Becky Program, Prime+Progress, comes out this Sunday 1/11/26! This 5-week phase of Build with Becky [https://beckygram.com/posts/148/2024-11-08-what-is-build-with-becky] is a well-rounded program designed to build strength across all major movement patterns, prioritizing a different, heavy-weight, low-rep major compound lift for lower body each day - Day 1: Squats, Day 2: Hip Thrusts, Day 3: Deadlifts! If you want to learn the lifts with the biggest bang for your buck and build strength in a sustainable way to grow as you go, this is the program for you!
* Learn more about my program and sign up at my website, www.betterwithbecky.com [http://www.betterwithbecky.com]
* If it feels supportive, the Better with Becky Sober Curious Challenge [https://beckygram.com/posts/1273/2026-01-04-join-the-better-with-becky-sober-curious-challenge] is underway, leveraging the social support of Dry January [https://beckygram.com/posts/1229/2025-12-29-why-try-going-dry] to help you get started. It’s never too late to join, is 100% free and comes with lots of resources to support your sober curious journey!
* Subscribe to my newsletter / Beckygram [https://gram.betterwithbecky.com/posts/190/2025-01-03-beckygram-in-your-inbox] to get my latest updates in your inbox - a mix of slice-of-life, fitness, and mindful moments to support your journey to a stronger self and a better life!
GET IN TOUCH
* I’d love to hear from you!
* If you have a comment, question, or topic you’d like me to dive into in a future episode, contact me at podcast@betterwithbecky.com [podcast@betterwithbecky.com]
* If you are finding the podcast enjoyable and valuable, please consider leaving a review and 5 star rating to help others find the show! Thanks so much ◡̈
* Questions about my strength training program, Build with Becky can be sent to becky@betterwithbecky.com [becky@betterwithbecky.com]
* If you use my program and would like to leave me a review, you an do so here: https://share.google/5FA3HEJMTHmerGR17 [https://share.google/5FA3HEJMTHmerGR17]
