Wayward Wellness Coaching

A New Year’s reality check on resolutions, regulation, and why intention beats pressure.

New Year, Same Pressure — Let’s Do This Differently

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Hey Reader,

Happy New Year.

Let me guess — you decided to start the year with the best of intentions.
New planner. New supplements. New gym clothes.
New version of you loading…

And statistically speaking, most of that will be emotionally ghosted by February.
By March? Fully unclaimed.

This week at boxing, our trainer casually mentioned he was wearing the most comfortable sweatpants he’s ever owned.

They were from the lost and found.

I asked, “You just… took them?” 👀
He said, “Oh yeah. I give it a couple months. If nobody claims it, it’s free game.”

Then he laughed and said:
“New Year’s is the best time. People buy the best of the best for their resolutions… then disappear. It’s like payment for discipline.”

And honestly? He’s not wrong.

That’s the thing about New Year’s resolutions.
They’ve been turned into a performance.
An all-or-nothing identity overhaul.
A pressure cooker disguised as motivation.

So no — I don’t put much stock in resolutions.
Not the way they’re sold.

But I do believe in something quieter and far more powerful:
​intentions and beginnings.

Because intention isn’t about forcing change.
It’s about choosing direction — without punishing yourself if you wobble.

And your nervous system actually responds to that.

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Now — if you want to set a New Year’s resolution, I’m not here to confiscate it.

There’s actually solid research showing that adding one small habit and practicing it consistently for about three weeks can help your brain rewire and adopt it more naturally.

The key word is small.
Not “new personality by Monday.” I know... us fellow ADHDers are akin to the "go hard or go home"... but I promise, it doesn't have to be that way.

So instead of 12 goals and a color-coded spreadsheet that piles up every year, ask yourself:

What’s one habit I want to slowly train this year?

Some ideas (steal freely):

• 5 minutes of breathing regulation before you start your day
• A 7-minute morning reset (which retrains your RAS, the Reticular Activating System... and if you want help with this, download my free resource → [​​7-Day Gratitude Alignment]) before you touch your phone — where you:
– name one thing you’re grateful for
– set a simple intention
– decide what actually matters today​
• 15–30 minutes of intentional movement (walks count, by the way)
• Pausing before reacting — one breath before the email, the text, the meeting
• A short evening check-in instead of doom-scrolling until your nervous system hates you

Nothing flashy.
Nothing punishing.
Just enough to signal safety and consistency to your body.

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A simple reset you can do today (no vision board required):

• One hand on your chest, one on your belly
• Inhale through your nose for 4
• Exhale through your mouth for 6
• Repeat 5 times

Then ask:
“What would support me this season — not fix me?”

No answers required.
Just notice.

That’s regulation.
That’s how sustainable change actually starts.

If you find it helpful to follow along with a guided body scan, feel free to do so with one I've uploaded to my YouTube channel.

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If this year feels like a moment where you want to do things differently — without blowing up your life or white-knuckling another January — I opened Week 1 of Burn the Blueprint for free.

It’s not a challenge.
It’s not a hustle reboot.
It’s a grounded place to question the patterns you’ve been living inside of and start from the inside out.

You can access it here → [Access to Week 1: Burn the Blueprint]

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And one more thing to keep on your radar…

My new Podcast, Hustle Rebels drops this week.

It’s for people who know how to grind — and are starting to question the cost.
Feel free to check out the trailer here → TRAILER - Hustle Rebels: Sustainable Success for High Performers.

If you are choosing a habit or intention for this year, feel free to reply and tell me what you’re experimenting with.
I’d genuinely love to hear what you’re working on for 2026.

Here’s to intention over pressure.

See you next Wednesday — and as always, if you liked this, forward it to a friend so they can join the fam and be regulated like you.

- Renae