Why “All or Nothing” Leaves You With… Nothing | FIT

Some mornings you wake up ready to run through a brick wall. Other mornings you wake up feeling like the brick wall won. And somewhere in that gap sits one of the oldest lies in fitness history.
A (potential) client told me today they want to “start at the beginning of the year so they can give it their all,” because they’re an all or nothing type of person.

I get it. It sounds noble. it sounds good. Except it’s wrong.
And worse… it’s a trap.

Because when your standard is 100 percent or zero percent, zero percent stays undefeated.

It’s Alabama football in the 60s. It’s Mike Tyson in ‘86. It doesn’t lose. Ever.

The Illusion of the Perfect Start

“All or nothing” people always have one thing in common. They’re waiting for the perfect moment. The beginning of the week. The first of the month. A Monday. January 1. After vacation. After work slows down. After life stops being life.

They want to start when everything is aligned.
But here’s the truth the world’s always known, you don’t wait for the weather. You work in it.

The perfect start doesn’t exist.

And waiting for it is just procrastination (but with emotional baggage).

The Reality: Life Will Punch Holes in Your Plan

Even if January rolled around and you hit that clean slate, how long until the first curveball?

Sick kid (they always are). Birthday (everyday is always someones). Overtime at work. Holidays (Halloween, Thanksgivings, Christmas). Travel. Travel Ball. Stress. Back tightness (spent the weekend putting up gutter guards and now my right hip/glute med/QL is pissed). Car battery dies (last month). Your cat eats something questionable (Valentines day Swanson ate only poisonous plant in Sam’s bouquet).

You think any of that cares about your perfect streak? Nope.

The all-or-nothing mindset falls apart the second life acts like… life.

It’s fragile.

It gives you an alibi. When one thing goes wrong, the mentality says, “Welp, might as well quit, I can’t give it my all”.

Consistency Beats Intensity Every Day of the Week

Here’s the part nobody wants to admit because it’s not sexy enough for Instagram.

You don’t need to be a hero.
You need to be consistent. Literally, that’s it.

Legendary progress in fitness, sports, and life was built on boring, sturdy days. Not highlight reels.

Not max-effort Mondays and dynamic efforts Thursday.

Not perfection.

Just showing up. Grinding. Moving the dirt whether you’ve got a shovel or a spoon (see my IG).

Why “Nothing” Always Wins

Let’s break this down like a film session.

When you’re all-or-nothing:

• Miss one workout?
  Program’s ruined. You quit.

• Eat one thing off plan?
  Diets ruined. You quit.

• Lose momentum?
  Month’s ruined. You quit until January.

You’re basically giving yourself an eject button every time you feel imperfect.
And trust me, your brain will hit that button faster than a Myles Garrett can swing a helmet.

The standard is impossible. So you fail.
And when you fail, you stop.
And when you stop, you lose.

The Real Secret: 70 Percent Done Every Day Will Beat 100 Percent Done Once

You know what works?

Showing up at 70 percent on days you don’t feel like it.
Showing up at 50 percent when the tank’s dry.
Showing up at 20 percent when life smacks you around.

Twenty percent effort done consistently will torch 100 percent effort done once in a blue moon — and obviously 20% beats the 0% that nothing offers.

That’s the unsexy math of real progress.

Start Now Because Now Is the Only Thing You Actually Control

Starting in January is just another delay tactic.

Start when you’re busy.
Start when you’re stressed.
Start when it’s inconvenient.
Start when you’re not ready.

Start now.

Because starting now builds the actual skill that creates results.

Discipline.
Not motivation. Not convenience. Not hype.

A Future You Can Actually Stick To

Imagine a version of you that doesn’t quit the moment something goes wrong. Someone who builds the gym into their daily routine.

That’s what we teach at FIT.

Start today.
Start next hour.
Start messy.
Start imperfect.

…start before January.

Because all or nothing is a great way to get nowhere.