A Great Year Is No Accident (And It Isn’t Defined by the Holidays)
Every year, the same pattern shows up.
People stress about a few meals between Christmas and New Year’s as if that short window determines everything. In reality, it is the other 51 weeks that quietly shape your health, strength, and energy.
The holidays are not the problem. What you do most of the year matters far more than what you do for a handful of days.
That is why we view the holidays as a time for maintenance, not maximization.
You have already done the work it took to get here. This is the moment to take your foot off the accelerator briefly, enjoy the people around you, and give your nervous system a break from constant optimization.
Maintenance is not giving up. It is playing the long game.
Maintenance Is the Minimal Effective Dose
Think of maintenance as the minimum you need to stay grounded and prepared.
It keeps you from detraining.
It reduces anxiety around missed workouts or imperfect meals.
It helps you move into the new year refreshed instead of burned out.
You are not trying to make progress in every direction right now. You are preserving momentum so progress is easier to restart when life settles back into rhythm.
The Three Pillars of a Smarter Reset (from John Rusin)
1. Protein First for Recovery and Control
Protein supports muscle repair and appetite regulation, both of which matter during a season of irregular meals.
Higher-protein meals tend to keep you fuller longer, stabilize energy, and reduce mindless snacking. That makes it easier to enjoy holiday foods intentionally rather than reactively.
This is not about restriction. It is about anchoring meals.
Bottom line: Start with protein and let flexibility fill in the rest.
2. Train to Feel Better, Not Beat Yourself Down
Movement remains one of the most reliable stress relievers we have.
Regular physical activity improves mood, reduces stress, and increases emotional resilience. During the holidays, training is not about crushing workouts or chasing numbers. It is about creating a release valve.
A walk, a short session, or a simple strength workout can change how the rest of the day feels. Yes, even family gatherings.
And if you do not work out for a few days, it is not the end of the world. Consistency over time matters more than perfection in a single week.
3. Recover Like It Is Part of the Plan
Sleep, hydration, and light movement between stressful events matter more than ever this time of year.
Sleep is when your body repairs tissue, regulates hormones, and resets stress systems. Skimping on it disrupts appetite, recovery, and energy.
Sometimes the smartest move is not doing more. It is getting 30 extra minutes of sleep so you can show up as your best self for the people who matter most.
Reset, Not Restart
The day after a big holiday is one of the most important days of the year.
Not because you need to “make up” for anything, but because returning to structure quickly keeps small detours from turning into long delays.
This does not require extreme measures. It requires simple rhythm.
Eat normally.
Move your body.
Go to bed at a reasonable time.
That is a reset, not a restart.
A Year That Does Not Happen by Accident
If you could flash forward to December of next year, what would need to happen for you to look back and call it a good year?
What challenges would you have taken on?
What changes would you have made?
What would you have learned?
What good would you have done?
A good year does not happen by accident. It does not just show up because the calendar flips.
First, decide what kind of person you want to be. Then do the work that person would do.
That applies to training. It applies to health. It applies to life.
The holidays are not where progress is made or lost. They are where perspective is gained.
Take care of maintenance now so you can build something meaningful when the year truly begins.
And when January comes, you will not be starting over.
You will be continuing forward.