No More Start-Stopping: Make Year-Round Results a Real Thing

If you’ve ever felt like your healthy habits swing wildly throughout the year — one month you’re a meal-prep queen, the next you’re ghosting your gym — you’re not alone. The rhythm of the year plays a huge role in our behavior.

But what if you could anticipate the ebbs and flows instead of constantly just reacting to them?

Enter: habit periodisation — the strategy of aligning your health habits with the natural ebbs and flows of the year.

Let’s break it down, month by month — and I’ll show you how to thrive, not just survive.

January: New Year, New Overwhelm

What typically happens:
Motivation is sky-high. People go from zero to 100 — extreme diets, 6am bootcamps, no carbs ever again; the ever-present Dry January. By week 3, burnout hits. Hard.

Amanda’s Strategy:

• Start small, scale smart.
• Use January to form foundational habits: 7 hours of nightly sleep, protein at every meal, 2-3 workouts/week.
• Leave room to add, not subtract – maybe you can get more steps this month, or more sleep.
• Track your wins rather than testing your willpower.

February: CNY + The Great Reboot

What typically happens:
Bak kwa, pineapple tarts, and endless visitations. All sense of routine flies out the window. But a lot of folks (in Singapore especially!) feel like this is the real new start to the year – and tend to buckle down after the last day.

Amanda’s Strategy:

• Plan a “reset week.”
• Block out one full week post-CNY to re-anchor your habits: schedule meal prep, book yoga class, hit hydration goals.
• Make it intentional — don’t wait for “motivation” to return, take action so you have no choice.

March–April: The Sweet Spot

What typically happens:
No (extended) school holidays. No big life curveballs (usually). People finally settle into sustainable routines — the kind that, if extended more than a couple months, would actually move the needle for the entire year (hint, hint).

Amanda’s Strategy:

• Push for progress – capitalise on your strengths!
• This is the perfect time for a big strength phase, fat-loss cycle, or some serious habit stacking on what’s working.
• Make the most of this time by using an accountability coach, a program like THE METHOD, or an 8-week challenge.

May: Maycember Mayhem

What typically happens:
School year-end events, exams, performances, holiday planning… and total overwhelm. Parents especially start missing workouts, stress-eating, and saying “I’ll start again after the kids are settled….” (but in reality, summer’s hitting fast).

Amanda’s Strategy:

• Switch to a “maintenance mode” – don’t set unreasonable expectations during an unreasonably busy time.
• Scale back volume, not intensity. Quick workouts. One-pan meals. Protein snacks in the car.  BOOM.
• You’re not slacking — you’re anticipating, and you’re adapting. That’s smart periodisation.

June–August: The (Happy) Holiday Disruption

What typically happens:
Travel, jet lag, no gym, new foods, odd schedules. Everything is different — and that’s not a bad thing.  We all need it!

Amanda’s Strategy:

• Shift from performance to presence. Soak in the summer sunshine and holiday vibes.
• Maintain daily movement, especially when food is more variable: walks, bodyweight workouts, hikes.
• Anchor your day with at least 2 stable/usual meals, and aim for protein + plants at most meals.
• Give yourself permission to enjoy. This isn’t a setback — it’s a phase, and it happens every year, no surprises.

September: Second ‘New Year’ Energy

What typically happens:
Everyone comes back with renewed motivation (and often, post-summer weight gain and a bit of overindulgence-hangover). The desire to get serious again is high – and with the kids back in school, the time and schedule opens up for it.

Amanda’s Strategy:

• Time to recommit. No guilt, but no excuses, either.
• Use this month like ‘new’ January — but better. You’ve got context now, and no time to waste.
• Set 8–12 week goals, sign up for a serious coaching program like T101, rework your routine with new vigour, and maybe even do a body comp scan to get serious about what you want to change.

October–November: “The Slippery Slope

What typically happens:
Busy season at work, weather dips (not so much here in the tropics, but I hear things), school exams, and the creeping onset of festive events. Habits somehow feel harder even though we’re still trying.

Amanda’s Strategy:

• Figure out your anchors – your non-negotiables even on the craziest, busiest version of your day.
• This is where your baseline routine — even a stripped-down version — will save you.
• Focus on 3 daily wins in the big 3 categories: movement, meals, and mindset.
• Don’t aim for perfect — aim for present and consistent.  No zero days, rather than a handful of “perfect” ones.

December: “The ‘F*ck It’ Festivities

What typically happens:
Parties, food, travel, guests – y’all know how it goes. Habits slide. Most people go HAM and figure “whatever, I’ll fix it in January.”

Amanda’s Strategy:

• Enjoy. But don’t totally erase.  Research shows that most people gain 1-2 pounds at the end of the year that doesn’t actually come off in the next one.
• Instead of throwing out the whole month, shift into “minimum effective dose” mode: 2 workouts a week, protein-first meals, and scheduled morning walks to avoid too-late nights.
• And most importantly — don’t guilt spiral. A good life includes celebration – nothing is permanent or unfixable.

Final Word: It’s Not About Discipline — It’s About Design.

You don’t need more willpower (it’s not really a thing, by the way). You need better planning.

By recognising the natural rhythms of the year — and adjusting your health and wellness strategies accordingly — you stop fighting the tide and start riding it.

And if you want help mapping this out? That’s literally what we do at LIFT Clinic. We don’t just build workouts and macros. We build lives that work – so come in ANY month of the year if you’re looking for real-life strategy that works – all year long.