“The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this.”
– James Clear, Author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits.
Remember your New Year resolutions? January is full of optimism, a fresh start, strong intentions, and a promise to yourself to move more, eat well and prioritise you. Momentum drives us through January, setting ourselves up for a strong year ahead.
But then February rolls around. The momentum slips, and it takes commitment to continue the habits we’ve set for ourselves. Work picks up, school goes back and our to-do list starts to build, sending self-care slowly down the list of priorities. Old habits creep in (choosing to spend 20 minutes scrolling over a workout, or opting for takeaway on a Sunday evening instead of meal prepping) and our January routine feels too hard to sustain.
January builds momentum. February builds a lifestyle.
When we build a routine on willpower, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Momentum is the spark to building strong habits, but it’s not the fuel to keep them alive. How do we do this? By overcoming an “all-or-nothing” mindset and setting realistic, enjoyable, sustainable and simple habits to achieve long-term goals.
A little bit is better than nothing.
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
– James Clear
Rather than striving for perfection, strive to show up. If you miss your Pilates class or only have 10 minutes before school drop off, give yourself 10 minutes. Within this time, you can actually increase your heart rate, get your blood pumping and activate a focus muscle group.
While 10 minutes of movement won’t guarantee overnight results, it will build a habit which overtime, creates change. It doesn’t take long to feel good again. 10-20 minutes of movement can boost your mood, increase your energy, fatigue a focus muscle group and rebuild confidence in your routine.
If your January intentions have started to slip, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. But just 10 minutes on the mat, a walk around the block, or a 5 minute meditation can shift your mindset from running off momentum to building a lifestyle.
“In the long-run (and often in the short-run), your willpower will never beat your environment. The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don’t swim upstream.”
– James Clear
The 21-Day Back to Basics Challenge will launch on the Fluidform at Home app on February 23rd, 2026. This at-home Pilates challenge is all about starting small, creating daily habits which transforms consistency into real results. Follow a daily program of workouts under 20 minutes, showing you how a little bit is always better than nothing.
It doesn’t take long to feel good again.
- All workouts 12 minutes
- Daily program removes decision fatigue
- Designed to build consistency, not perfection
- At-home convenience based on in-studio programming
