Get into the Right Mindset for 2025 … with Coaching & Micro-Habits

As January begins, it often feels like we’re gearing up for a race - - -

“This is the year I finally focus on what matters to me.”
“This is the year I make it happen.”
“This is the year I feel my best—energized, healthy, and ready for anything.”

But more often than not, those resolutions fizzle out.

Motivation wanes. Life takes over. We slip into survival mode, juggling busy schedules and doing our best to keep up. And when the overwhelm hits, the easiest thing to let go of is… ourselves.

We put work, family, friends, and commitments first—at the expense of our own goals. The perception? There’s just no time for you.

That’s why I’m offering two powerful tools to help you turn the tide this year.

I’m opening 4 exclusive spots for an 8-week coaching program designed to help you lock in the habits that matter most—habits that will transform your health and set you up for long-term success.

Building a defense shield against chronic disease starts with getting back to basics with sustainable lifestyle habits. 

Additionally, if you prefer to go it on your own, here are some helpful tips for crafting a plan of micro-habits to set you on the right path.

Micro habits—tiny, easily achievable actions—offer significant benefits because of their simplicity and their alignment with how the brain works. 

Here's an overview of their key benefits and the brain-motivational connection:

Key Benefits of Micro Habits

Low Effort, High Consistency
Micro habits are small enough to bypass the brain’s resistance to change. For example, doing a single push-up or reading one paragraph is easy to execute, which reduces decision fatigue and increases consistency.

Build Momentum
Accomplishing even a small action activates the brain's reward system (dopamine release), creating a sense of achievement. This motivates further actions, leading to the creation of larger habits over time.

Reduce Overwhelm
By breaking big goals into small, manageable steps, micro habits make starting easier. This helps avoid paralysis caused by the fear of failure or the perceived enormity of a task.

Leverage the Power of Compound Interest
Small actions, repeated consistently, add up to significant change over time. The brain thrives on repetition, reinforcing neural pathways with each iteration, which strengthens the habit.

Encourage Identity Shifts
Micro habits reinforce the idea that you are the kind of person who takes action. For example, flossing one tooth each night builds the identity of "being someone who takes care of their oral health." Identity-based motivation makes habits stick longer.

Flexible and Adaptable
Micro habits are easy to incorporate into even the busiest days, which means they are less likely to be skipped. Their adaptability keeps the habit loop intact.

Brain and Motivational Connection

Dopamine and the Reward System
Each time you complete a micro habit, your brain releases dopamine, the "feel-good" chemical. This reward reinforces the habit loop, making you more likely to repeat the behavior.

Habit Loop: Cue, Routine, Reward
Micro habits align perfectly with the habit loop. A small, specific cue triggers the behavior (routine), and the immediate sense of success acts as the reward. Over time, this creates automaticity.

Overcoming the Fear of Failure
The amygdala (fear and stress center) resists big, intimidating tasks. Micro habits trick the brain by being so small that they don’t trigger resistance, allowing action to flow.

Neuroplasticity
Repetition of micro habits strengthens neural pathways, making actions automatic over time. This is how micro habits transform into full-scale habits without requiring excessive willpower.

Building Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy—the belief in your ability to succeed—is strengthened by micro habits. Small wins send signals to the brain that you are capable, fostering motivation and reinforcing confidence.

Avoiding Decision Fatigue
Micro habits reduce the number of decisions you need to make, as they are pre-set and simple. This conserves willpower and mental energy, which the brain loves.

Example in Practice

• Micro Habit: "Put on walking shoes" instead of “Walk 10,000 steps.”

• Brain Reward: The simple act of putting on shoes feels like progress, releasing dopamine.

• Motivation Growth: The small action leads to further steps (literally and figuratively), building a habit loop.

Over time, micro habits become catalysts for bigger changes, driven by the brain's natural craving for rewards and ease of repetition.

As a reminder, achieving optimal health is always an ongoing process, which takes a great deal of attention, mindfulness and focus.  

We all want to be enjoying life, enjoying our kids and grandkids, well, always. So getting into that active mindset of how we're going to do that benefits you, as well as all those that you love.