Why Most People Fail Every January And How to FINALLY Get It Right in 2026 (Without Deting, Starving, or Becoming a Fitness Hermit)

By Jason Brownlie - your friendly neighbourhood coach who also eats mince pies and loses his sht at least twice a week.

Let’s get something out the way quickly:

If you’ve ever made a New Year fitness resolution and crashed harder than a Poundland shopping trolley by Week 3… you’re normal.

You’re not weak.

You’re not lazy.

You’re not “bad at sticking to things.”

You’re human.

A tired human.

A busy human.

A human who probably spent most of December emotionally held together by mince pies, fairy lights, and “It’s Christmas, calories don’t count” logic.

And honestly?

January doesn’t magically fix that.

Let’s break down why most people fail every January — and what you can ACTUALLY do to make 2026 different.

⭐ 1. You go way too hard, way too fast

January hits, and suddenly it’s:

“New Year, New Me!”

“I’m cutting carbs forever!”

“I’ll train 6 days a week!”

“I’m banning chocolate until Easter!”

“Dry January, obviously!”

You go from ‘festive sloth’ → ‘Olympic hopeful’ in 48 hours.

No wonder your body and brain revolt.

Going too hard too fast is the no.1 reason people fail.

Your motivation was never the problem — your strategy was.

What actually works?

👉 Start 2026 at a 4/10 difficulty, not 10/10 hero mode.

That’s called sustainable.

And your nervous system won’t start filing a formal complaint.

⭐ 2. Your goals are more unrealistic than your Christmas wishlist

If your January plan looks like this:

Lose 2 stone in 4 weeks

Meal prep for 19 hours

No “cheeky Nandos” until 2029

Become a morning person overnight

Join a gym 15 miles away that you already resent

…please rip that plan up.

Real people (with jobs, kids, stress, laundry, and the occasional meltdown in Tesco) need realistic goals.

Not influencer goals.

Not magazine goals.

Not “I bought a new notebook so now my life is sorted” goals.

Real goals.

Lose 1–2 lbs a week.

Move more.

Eat slightly better.

Be consistent — not perfect.

That’s it.

That’s the secret sauce.

⭐ 3. You’re still traumatised by diets

Listen… most people aren’t failing in January because they suck at fitness.

They’re failing because diets messed with their head.

Slimming clubs, detox teas, 800-calorie meal plans, influencers selling nonsense…

No wonder you think health is meant to feel like punishment.

Here’s the truth:

👉 Food isn’t the enemy.

👉 Dieting isn’t the solution.

👉 Learning habits is the actual answer.

You CAN enjoy:

chocolate

wine

takeaways

meals out

social life

Christmas leftovers

being a human

…AND still make progress when you understand nutrition properly.

⭐ 4. You rely on motivation (which expires faster than milk)

Motivation is a lovely feeling.

It lasts…

what…

8 minutes?

If you’re lucky?

What actually keeps people consistent is:

• accountability

• community

• structure

• support

• knowing someone gives a sh*t

Motivation gets you to the starting line.

Routine and accountability get you across the finish line.

⭐ 5. You try to do it alone

You know what’s REALLY hard?

Trying to:

• learn nutrition

• build workouts

• stay consistent

• stay motivated

• stay accountable

• stay positive

• stay on track

• deal with life

• also cook dinner

• also not lose your mind

…completely on your own.

Humans aren’t wired for that.

You’re meant to have support.

Coaching.

Community.

Check-ins.

A plan that actually fits your life.

Not doing everything solo while yelling “THIS IS MY YEAR!” to an empty living room.

⭐ 6. You think it has to be perfect

Fake news:

It doesn’t.

You don’t need:

• perfectly clean eating

• flawless workouts

• 10,000 steps every day

• no slip-ups

• no nights out

• no mistakes

You need:

• progress

• not perfection

• consistency

• not extremism

• direction

• not chaos

Perfection is the enemy of progress.

If you fall off?

Cool.

Stand back up.

Carry on.

That’s literally all fitness is.

⭐ So… what actually works in January?

Here’s the real formula:

👉 Start small.

👉 Be consistent.

👉 Build habits.

👉 Get support.

👉 Focus on real lifestyle changes, not heroic January detox missions.

👉 Stop trying to do everything at once.

👉 Follow a plan that’s built for real humans and not 20 year old influencers

And for the love of God, stop punishing yourself for being human in December.

You don’t need a detox.

You need a plan.

Here's to your success

Jason Brownlie

Coach @ The Perth Fitness Camp

P.S. If this hit home... here's your next step

If you're sat there thinking:

"Yep, this is me. Every bloody year."

Then good news:

My January 28 Day Fitter Body Kickstart starts January 7th - and the Early Access Waitlist is now open

When you join the waitlist you get:

🔥 Early access on January 1st

🔥 Priority over public launch

🔥 Guaranteed first chance to secure a space

🔥 Exclusive waitlist pricing

🔥 Your 'Get Ready' Guide

Join the waitlist, i'll send you all the details and you'll have first refusal when sign up opens from 1st January

Let's make 2026 the year you stop starting over, and start actually moving forward.

I've got you.