Podcast Summary: "Creating New Year's Resolutions That Stick"

Podcast: Stronger with Don Saladino
Host: Don Saladino
Date: December 23, 2025
Episode Type: Mini Episode (~10 minutes)

Overview:

This special, shorter episode of Stronger is Don Saladino’s guide to crafting New Year’s resolutions that actually last. Drawing on 27 years of fitness experience, Don shares why most resolutions fail and offers practical, real-world strategies to create habits that stick well beyond January.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Most Resolutions Fail

• Overreaching and Overloading:
  Most people “are biting off more than we can chew.” (01:27)
  Setting too many or overly ambitious resolutions leads to burnout.

• Start Slow, Build Micro Momentum:
  “Consistency trumps intensity.” (03:04)
  Jumping into an intense exercise/diet regime creates fatigue, soreness, and discouragement.

• Statistics on Resolution Failure:

  • “Within two weeks, 88% of the people fail their resolutions.” (01:29)
  • “By mid February, 80% of people abandon their resolutions...I always think of it as Quitters Day.” (05:33-05:55)

Crafting Attainable Resolutions

• Moderation Over Elimination:
  Instead of quitting dessert forever, allow it once a week.
  “Maybe we need to quit having it every single day. But allowing yourself to have a dessert maybe once a week, is that the worst thing? Absolutely not.” (02:16-02:24)

• Practical Implementation:
  Don advocates for building habits you can maintain:

  • Start walking 10 minutes after each meal (accumulates to 30 minutes/mile+ per day—05:00)
  • “This exercise snacking mentality and breaking things up ... can be really beneficial and it could keep you from burning out.” (05:20)

Embrace Micro Wins

• Personalize Your Path:
  “Recognize the things that we don’t like and allow ourselves to get into an environment that’s going to enable us to be successful.” (04:10)
  Possible approaches: find a partner, use a step tracker, try different exercise modalities.

• The Power of Little Steps
  Story of a 400 lb man who ran an ultramarathon by building micro-momentum (10:36-12:44):

  “After I heard you speak, I went home and I got in front of my computer and I searched for sneakers. ... Every day he added this little win.” (11:30-12:06)
  This exemplifies the value of small, incremental progress over time.

Rethinking Measurement of Success

• Look Beyond the Scale:
  “That’s a massive non scale victory ... If you start improving your process, then all these other things with body composition are going to end up improving.” (07:03)
  Don shares a client story:
  “She gained 8 pounds of muscle and lost 9 pounds of fat...But she only lost a pound. Technically, if you look at the scale, it’s like, oh, I’m only down a pound. So most people are going to get incredibly depressed about that. ... She literally exchanged fat with muscle.” (07:40-08:15)

• Non-Scale Victories (NSV):
  Focusing on process improvements (diet, activity, mindset) yields meaningful results—sometimes invisible on the scale.

How to Structure Habits for Success

• Staggering New Habits:
  “Why don’t we start with hydration in month one and make some mistakes but get really good at that...Then month two, we start with some exercise...We take six months to make six massive changes.” (08:59-09:28)
  Rather than implement all changes at once, phase in habits for sustainable results.

• Sustainability Above All:
  If a diet or routine isn’t sustainable, it won’t work long-term:

  “They’re like, well, the diet worked for me, but I put the weight back on. I’m like, well, it didn’t work.” (10:00-10:06)
  Reflect on past failures, understand triggers, and build better systems.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Consistency trumps intensity.” (03:04)
• “Most of you out there are losing motivation because you’re living and dying by the scale. ... NSV—Non Scale Victory.” (07:03)
• “By the end of the year, only 6% of resolutions last longer than the year. 6%!” (13:43)
• “Rather than turning around and putting yourself on this training program that is just insanity...get out of the gym in 20 to 30 minutes. Build this consistency.” (13:19-13:25)
• “Make the resolution about just being consistent. 95% of the time, and if you do that, that’s going to be a massive improvement from what you probably did last year.” (14:00-14:04)
• “The goal is to maintain this resolution because we want to feel better, we want to look better, and we want to be happier.” (14:20)

Actionable Takeaways

• Start Small: Tackle one habit at a time, allow for gradual build-up and slip-ups.
• Be Flexible: Adjust goals as needed; don’t chase perfection.
• Celebrate Micro Wins: Focus on little victories and progress markers.
• Track Non-Scale Successes: Pay attention to energy, mood, sleep, and healthy routines—not just weight.
• Plan for Sustainability: Build habits you can reasonably maintain year-round.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:25] – The reason for failing resolutions: overcommitting.
• [02:16] – Moderation vs. abstinence in dietary changes.
• [03:04] – “Consistency trumps intensity.”
• [05:33] – "Quitters Day" and resolution abandonment stats.
• [07:03] – The importance of non-scale victories.
• [10:00] – Why unsustainable diets and routines backfire.
• [11:30-12:44] – The micro-momentum method: inspiring story of transformation.
• [13:43] – Only 6% of resolutions last—rethinking your approach.
• [14:00] – The ultimate advice for lasting change: consistency over perfection.

Final Thought and Closing Tone

Don finishes with a challenge and encouragement:
“Let’s go into this new year with a positive mindset. ... Make the resolution about just being consistent. ... The whole goal is to try and maintain this resolution because we want to feel better, we want to look better, and we want to be happier and none of us are happy when we discontinue habits that we really want to continue. Happy New Year’s everyone.” (13:54–14:37)

Listen to this episode of Stronger for realistic, motivating, and actionable advice on building genuine, lasting strength—not just in your body, but in your habits and mindset for the year to come.