For those unfamiliar, “stay fit, keep sharp, make good decisions” are the wise words of Louis Tully, the accountant-cum-Ghostbuster, from the original eighties movies of the franchise.
Although he may not be the most obvious source of inspiration when looking to kick-start your January, his transition from unfortunate and uncomfortable observer in the first film, to active and integral (although still largely uncomfortable!) team member in the second, serves as an iconic example of how determination can ultimately pay off.
How’s THAT for inspiration?!
Making New Year Resolutions
Perhaps you woke up last Friday ready with a New Year; New Me mindset, or maybe you waited ’til today for added Monday Motivation, but either way, if you’re a fan of a New Year Resi (and apparently one in five of us are), and decided that 2026 is for health pledges, then may Tully’s words serve as your motto! (And hey, even if you don’t engage in all that Resolution Malarky, you have to admit, the Ghostbuster made a good point.) So here’s our advice for making valuable resolutions, sticking to them, and living a healthful 2026:
1. Be Specific
With a big time stamp like new year, you might be inclined to make big statements. Nothing wrong with that, but there’s an important difference between declaring what you want to do, and planning out how you’re going to do it.
“Stay fit” is what you want to do.
“Get to the gym four times a week”, “stretch every morning”, and “hit 10,000 steps a day” are ways you might try to do it.
2. Be Realistic
It takes a lot of motivation and a sustained level of dedication to make big changes to your life overnight. It’s far more likely you’ll stick to your new action plan if you give yourself some leeway about when and how you’ll tackle it.
“Keep sharp” is all-or-nothing and arguably sets you up to fail.
“Make more time to read”, “create space to self-reflect”, and “experiment with meditation” offers flexibility and context for your efforts.
3. Be Persistent
The resolutions you’ve made are probably based on best-case-scenario, ideal-world situations. That’s fine, but if you understand that relapse will happen (because “life” happens – late nights, hard days at work, family woes) then you’re less likely to make one slip-up the reason to give up.
“Make good decisions” is ongoing, and instead of waiting for a new week, a next month, or another new year to start again, you should treat every decision as an opportunity to reset.
Personal Growth Through Team Work
Best way to give yourself a fighting chance of sticking to your resolutions? Make anything associated with your action plan easy to get at. Lay out your gym kit before bed so you’re ready for the WOD in the morning, keep your book on your night stand so you can read instead of scroll before you sleep, surround yourself with people who make that “good decision” easier…
… the coaches at CrossFit DireWolf expect you in class, and you look forward to working out with your gym buddies. These relationships provide you with the support you might need to keep showing up, as well as the encouragement you might need for your pursuits beyond the box. When you’re with your people, you’re part of a team. And just like Peter, Ray, Egon, and Winston wanted Louis to succeed, your teammates want you to succeed.