Your Strongest Year Yet: Embracing Real Growth in 2025

I’m all about harnessing the energy of the new year to inspire thoughtful reflection and intentional goal setting. It may feel cliche, but you can’t deny the powerful feeling of the New Year, whether it’s about confronting some uncomfortable truths, or coasting in on a wave of hope that will (fingers crossed) carry you beyond the first few days of January.

In Episode 16 of The FitSister Podcast, we discussed our “Ins and Outs” for 2025. I didn’t expect to love this little exercise as much as I did. I’m not normally a “hater”, but honestly, pointing a finger at all the crap from 2024 that’s been getting under my skin was exactly what I needed. Sometimes in order to grow, you’ve gotta clear out the weeds. And damn it felt good to hack through the tangled mess of BS that’s been holding me back. Ten out of ten. Highly recommend. Here we go…

One

OUT: Wellness Trends

IN: Thinking for Yourself

Have you ever unintentionally let the internet diagnose you? In mid December, I was innocently researching cortisol— a word I think we’ve all been seeing pop up in the wellness space at an unusually high frequency. Before I knew it, I was downloading an app that promised to assess my behavior, measure my stress levels, and prescribe a plan to “detox” my system.

When I was presented with a monthly payment plan and a link to subscribe, I muttered some PG profanity under my breath and closed the browser. I don’t need to pay $29.99 per month for a bot to tell me that I should reduce screen time, get more sleep, and practice self-care. I felt like such a fool!

Is my cortisol too high? Too low? I don’t know, I don’t really care, and there’s no way an app can tell me. What I do know (from using my own brain) is that I’ve been feeling anxious and stressed, making it difficult to focus and be productive. But if I just stop clicking on buzzy headlines and start thinking for myself, I can pretty easily identify the situations and behaviors in my life that are likely causing me to feel this way.

I’ve noticed a compulsive behavior that involves reaching for my phone when I’m looking for answers, entertainment, validation, etc. Why? Because it’s all in there— at least that’s what it feels like on the surface. In reality, I’m not getting led towards solutions, I’m getting pulled further away from my truth.

Allow me to explain in less hippie-dippie terms: When technology hands me easy answers (cleanse this, detox that), my instinct is to stop asking real questions. And when I stop asking questions, I cheat myself out of getting to the root of the problem.

So for me, when it comes to detoxes, cleanses, resets— I’m not buying what they’re selling. I’m done spiraling down wellness trend rabbit holes and ready to trust my own inner knowing. That means spending less time on apps fighting for my attention, and more time letting my mind wander to places where Buzzfeed can’t find me. And honestly? I can’t wait to see what I discover.

Two

OUT: 30 Day Transformation

IN: Lifelong Evolution

All I have to say about this is, it just takes longer. To set the expectation that after 30 days I’m going to be a new version of myself is a recipe for disappointment and frustration. A 30-day challenge might be a helpful learning experience, but transformation? Hard pass. Honestly, I wish that word would disappear from the health space for good.

At this point, I’m not really interested in a punishing 30-day experiment. What’s the hurry? I’m interested in taking my time, being thoughtful, and creating lifelong habits that will help me evolve for the rest of my life. No obsessing over the “before and after”, just fine tuning and enjoying the “during”.

Three

OUT: Anti-aging

IN: Gratitude for Living

Here’s the hard truth: I don’t always like the things I say to myself when I look in the mirror.r in the morning. But the solution isn’t to erase my wrinkles or chase some impossible version of youth—it’s self-acceptance. And yea, that’s really freaking hard. I may never fully get there, but the mental shift I know I’m capable of if I try is enough to motivate me to keep working on it.

I can’t stop aging, and I refuse to let wrinkles steal my joy or make me forget how lucky I am to be here. The reality is, none of us know how many more days we have left. In a very weird turn of events, that fact was recently made crystal clear to me in the most unconventional way—but you’re going to have to tune into the podcast for that story ;)

Here’s the bottom line: more gratitude, less picking myself apart. No more waking up and scanning for flaws The lines on my face or the slightly fuller frame have absolutely no bearing on how much I can enjoy life.

Four

OUT: The gym as punishment.

IN: The gym as an opportunity.

Fun fact: Only about 5–15% of your daily calorie burn comes from a one-hour gym session. Annoying? Maybe. But it can also be freeing. When you let go of the idea that workouts are not just about pummeling yourself into a calorie deficit, you can start appreciating all the other incredible benefits of going to the gym—like connecting with your body and claiming time to focus on yourself.

The 25 year old me would be rolling her eyes real hard at that. That girl was at the gym to prove herself—to compete, crush workouts, get ripped, and win at all costs.

But the 44 year old me is at the gym to take care of herself. She’s still driven, but with different intention. She listens to her body instead of punishing it. She focuses on form over ego. She imagines her life thirty years from now and pictures herself moving with strength, balance, and ease—and she trains with that future in mind.

This is an ongoing transformation, much like the acceptance of aging. I can’t always override my competitive nature, but I’ve learned to be more gentle with myself—and that feels so damn good.

I’m no longer walking into the gym to punish my body or chase validation—I’m there to build the body that I want to live in for the rest of my life.

Five

OUT: Strength training to lose weight, fight menopause, burn more calories, or for body recomposition.

IN: Strength training TO BE STRONG.

Ya know what? I’m done sugarcoating it. Done trying to appease the masses. Done trying to convince women to lift weights by dangling the weight-loss carrot.

Here it is: You should lift to be strong. Period.

I get it—the promise of body recomposition is tempting. The allure of reducing belly fat is like the holy freaking grail. And yes, building muscle and losing fat can improve your health in countless ways. But if you give yourself permission to train solely for the purpose of getting stronger, you’ll unlock something far more powerful.

When you stop chasing smaller and start chasing stronger, everything shifts. You begin to see your body not as something to fix, but as something to celebrate.

Pride grows. Insecurities shrink.

Becoming more aware of what your body can do will change you in ways the scale never could.

It is much more interesting to challenge yourself to be something rather than to look like something.

Once you realize how much more you’re capable of— that’s what’s truly life-changing.

For me, 2025 is about cutting through the noise and getting back to what actually matters. I’m letting go of the pressure to “transform” and focusing on small, meaningful shifts—spending less time scrolling and more time moving, thinking, and simply being present. I’m trading in trends for trust—trust in my body, my intuition, and the slow but steady process of real growth. If that sounds like the kind of energy you want to bring into this year too, I’d love to help you get there. Let’s build strength—not just physically, but in how we live, think, and care for ourselves.

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Interested in coaching? Check out The FitSister 90 Day Group Coaching Program.

Finally, check out the latest episode of The FitSister Podcast where Nat and I dig deeper into our Ins and Outs for 2025. Love ya like a sister!