How to Set New Year Fitness Goals That Actually Stick

Nikkiey: Real quick, the only ask I could ever have of you guys is to help spread the word so we can help more women lose body fat, build muscle, reach their goals, and feel insanely confident. And the only way we can do that is if you rate, review, and share this podcast. So the single thing I ask you to do is leave a review. It will take you 10 seconds, and it will mean the absolute world to me and may change the world of someone else.

What will carry you forward is your connection to that higher self, to that vision, to that feeling, to the most empowered, to the most confident, to the most authentic version of you. And that's what I want to talk about today: how to tap into that version of yourself.

Yo, you guys, what's going on? Welcome to The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott, co-founder of WarriorBabe. On this podcast, we talk about mindset, methodologies, and tactics that will help you lose body fat, build muscle, be strong, and feel insanely confident. I am your host, Nikkiey Stott, and welcome to today's episode, episode number 220.

Today, being the day before New Year's Eve, I want to talk about 2025 with you guys. I want to talk about aligning your goals with that future self that you are stepping into. Whether you know it or not, where you are right now is different than the person that you want to become. Maybe you don't have the results you want now, or maybe you do and you're working towards more results, but maybe you're going into 2025 looking to create a New Year's resolution that is hopefully going to make 2025 the year that you step into your confidence, that you step into your results, that you step into the fact that you have control over those things to get the results that you want. What that looks like right now is different than where it could be in April, in July, in October of 2025.

This is something that I'm extremely passionate about. I talked about this in an earlier episode where we talked about reprogramming subconscious beliefs and upgrading the system of our paradigm. Think about it like an app or a phone. The operating system gets upgraded all of the time. That's essentially what you should be doing for yourself day in and day out, week after week, month after month, because every human wants to grow. So this is just a part of the growth process. The apps need to be updated in the operating system with better habits so that you can fulfill on supporting the system upgrade, with new updated apps, following through with all of the new software that's happening. You know what I mean?

The same thing comes into play when you're talking about transforming your entire journey and aligning your goals with your higher self. The goals that you strive for, the results that you want to have or see, those will require you to be different and do different things. Different behaviors, different habits, different thoughts, different actions than what you're doing right now. And so I want to help you guys align those goals with the person that you need to become in order to fully achieve those goals.

Just for context of why I'm so passionate about this, you guys: I was unconsciously competent 10 years ago and was doing this without knowing that I was fulfilling on these types of strategies or concepts I'm talking about. What I mean by that is I was your 2015 New Year's resolution baby. I went into the new year coming off of a breakup. I was engaged at that time, and I wanted to be more confident. I wanted to step into my personal power. I wanted to have different results within my body. I wanted it to be strong. I wanted to have muscle. I wanted to achieve all of these things for myself. But clearly I wasn't in that state of body or mind then.

I had these concepts. I had this idea of a higher self, or the vision of who I wanted to be, in my mind when I was lying in my bed sobbing after the breakup. I was just thinking, I can't be like this forever. But it feels like you're going to be like that forever. And I was playing in my head the things I wanted to do and how I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be different than I am now. I deserve so much more. All of those things that I'm sure you guys think about on a daily basis.

And so I started to create action. I didn't realize I was doing that unconsciously and competently. I was Pinterest-ing and looking at workouts and saving pins of a back workout or an arm workout. And I would go into the gym, scared to walk into the weight room, but knew that my higher self was calling me, that I had to go into the weight room. The first couple of times I walked into the gym, I walked right up to the cardio equipment, because that felt safe and that felt comfortable, and I knew how to operate those machines.

That happened a couple of times. But then I recognized that I need to lift weights in order to achieve this vision that I have for myself. So I had to get uncomfortable and walk into the weight room. I was driving myself with these actions of how my future self was showing up, and bringing that future self closer and closer.

Then I started seeing things on Instagram of the bodies that I wanted to have. I wasn't necessarily comparing myself at this time. Or maybe I was, but I recognized that if they can do it, I can do it too. And that's the same notion for you guys. If you're seeing this on social media, or you see somebody that has the results that you want, it's not necessarily "don't compare yourself to them," but recognize that you can accomplish those same things.

So then I started dreaming about these bodies. No joke. It went down to that level. I was immersing it into my subconscious mind without knowing all of these concepts I've been sharing with you guys recently. Your brain doesn't know the difference in time. So when you see this in your reality, or you see this in your mind, in your vision, and then you attach an emotion to it, that's what I was doing. I was getting excited. I was feeling proud. I was feeling appreciative. I was grateful. I was excited. I started creating these emotions attached to this vision. But I was still myself in human form that didn't have the body or confidence, but was still trying to show up for that person. And so I started to feel these things.

When you attach the vision and an emotion together, watch how things start showing up in your reality. Because what happened to me is, when I was dreaming this and I talked to my family about it and I was speaking it out loud and attaching emotion to it, I was like, I want this, I want this, I want this. God, higher power, whatever you believe in, put it into somebody else, because when I walked into the gym, the general manager asked, "Are you working to compete or be a bodybuilder?"

I shared my entire story in episode one of the podcast, but I wanted to tie this in really quickly with you guys because it all comes together. Essentially, he said that, and I was like, "No, but funny that you say that, because that's kind of what I'm going for." All of these dreams, sharing it with friends and family, starting to show up and go to the gym and start strength training, one thing was leading to another, and voila. He hooked me up with a bodybuilding coach.

From there on is history: me transforming my body, me going and competing, me winning, me going pro, me going into my second show, winning, going pro in a different federation. Then me going into my third show and competing and winning, where I beat the pros. So I left my bodybuilding career undefeated, and also with the confidence, with the discipline, with the physical body results that I wanted.

I'm not saying that you have to go be a bodybuilder to do this. This is just how God worked through me to give me this outcome that I wanted to become.

So this is what I want to talk about in this episode today: it's not just about setting the goals. I want to lose weight, or I want to fit into my favorite jeans, or I want to have more muscle and be toned. Those goals are fine on the surface, but they're not going to carry you through tough moments. They won't push you forward when your motivation fades, when your progress is slower, when life throws you off track. What will carry you forward is your connection to that higher self, to that vision, to that feeling, to the most empowered, to the most confident, the most authentic version of you. That's what I want to talk about today: how to tap into that version of yourself and how to create goals that are aligned with the person that you are becoming, not just the results that you are chasing.

Before we dive into the goals, we need to talk about you. Not the you who might be feeling frustrated or stuck right now. Think about the story that I shared with you. I was lying in my bed sobbing, thinking I'm never going to find the person I want to be with, or I'm going to be unhappy in my body like this forever. I'm not talking about that you now. I'm talking about your higher self, the version of you who has already achieved the transformation that you're working towards. She's strong. She's vibrant. She's full of confidence. She's sexy. You feel amazing in your skin. You can't wait to show it off to your husband or your partner.

So in order to get there, take a second with me. If you're driving, do this later. But definitely do this at a point where you can sit down for 30 seconds and do this little activity. Close your eyes. Visualize her. What does she look like? How does she feel when she wakes up in the morning? How does she treat her body? How does she talk to herself? Take a few minutes to really connect with her, because here's the thing: this is the woman you are becoming. The more you can see her, the easier it becomes to set goals that align with her.

Look, right now, so many of you guys are setting goals from a place of lack. You're setting goals from a place of "I'm not enough," or "I need to change this," or "I hate this part of myself," or you're coming from a space that is only going to give you more of those things. But if you shift your focus and set goals from the perspective of your future self, your higher self, it's no longer about fixing yourself. It's about becoming. It's about stepping into a version of yourself who already exists. She's just waiting for you to show up for her. She's already there. Again, time, reality, vision in your mind: there's no concept of body, environment and time.

Ladies, are you feeling frustrated with body changes you're experiencing during menopause? It's time to take control. If you're between 45 and 65 years old and tired of struggling with body fat and muscle loss, WarriorBabe is here for you. At WarriorBabe, we've helped over 18,000 women just like you lose body fat, build toned muscle, and understand their bodies better with personalized plans based on hormone and thyroid testing and more. Imagine knowing exactly what your body needs to see real results, and results that last. Don't wait anymore. Take charge of your health and join our community of strong, empowered women. Visit warriorbabe.com/apply today to start your transformation. That's warriorbabe.com/apply. All right, let's get back to the show.

If you can see her, if you can feel her, if you can see how she talks to herself... The way I like to think of it is: see a vision of you, and see a beautiful bubble of gold around you, or gold flowing in through your head, down through your entire body. That version of you already exists. In that bubble, there cannot be lack. There can only be abundance. There cannot be "I'm not enough." There can only be "I am enough." So it's about changing the way that you're thinking about it, coming from a different perspective, and understanding that that version of you is already there. She's just waiting for you to start acting like her and showing up for her on a daily basis.

Example: me walking into the weight room. Even though I was uncomfortable, my future self is already in the weight room. She's already doing curls and squats and deadlifts. She's already there. So, okay, I've got to get past this feeling of lack. I've got to get past this feeling of being uncomfortable. I've got to get past feeling scared and being afraid, because those emotions aren't going to help me become the person I want to be. That's how you close the gap. That's how you get closer to the results and the goals that you want to accomplish. You've got to get out of your own way.

Quick break. If you're finding this episode helpful so far, it would mean a lot if you could hit pause for just a second, leave a quick rating or a review, or share it with someone who could benefit from it. Your support helps more women discover these tools to build muscle, lose fat and feel confident. Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with me.

Let's get real for a second. How many times have you guys set a goal like "I want to lose 10 pounds" or "I want to get toned"? And how many times have those goals left you feeling unmotivated or even discouraged when progress felt slow? The reason is that those types of goals are focused on outcomes, and outcomes alone won't keep you going. Why? Because outcomes are external. They're tied to things outside of you. And when things outside of you get tough, like when you don't see progress as fast as you want to, or right away, or in the first three months of the new year, because that's when everybody dips out come April, that motivation fades. You start to doubt yourself, and you wonder, why am I even doing this?

But when you set goals that are tied to who you are becoming, when your goals are connected to your identity and to your values, you stay committed even when it is hard. Here's an example. Instead of saying, "I want to lose weight," ask yourself, why do I want to lose weight? Maybe it's so that you feel confident playing with your grandkids. Maybe it's so you can wake up feeling energized instead of exhausted. Maybe it's so you can walk into a room and feel powerful and confident, stand in your presence, be grounded, and know your self-worth and your self-value. That's your why. And that why is what is going to carry you through the tough moments.

When your goals are rooted in your values, when your goals are rooted in your vision, they become magnetic. They pull you toward that future self. They pull you forward even when the motivation fades. That's what it means to set goals that are in alignment with your higher self.

So this is where the magic happens. Take a moment to imagine your ideal life. What does that look like? How does your body feel? How do you show up for yourself every day? How do you treat your body, your mind, your health? How are you talking to it? How are you carrying yourself? What does confidence look like? What does it look like when you walk into a room? How do you feel? You can't walk into a room and feel like "I'm not enough," because your future self isn't like that. Your future self walks into a room like, here I am, people.

This vision is your north star. It's the thing that will guide you with every decision that you make from this point moving forward. Every workout that you choose to do, every meal that you choose to eat, every time you show up for yourself, it's all a part of your bigger vision.

So something I want you guys to do, in alignment with visioning this future you and future life and the ideal aspect of who you are becoming: the most powerful thing that has helped me in the last three, four months is writing in a journal. After this episode, write out this vision in detail in a notebook. Don't hold back. Dream as big as you possibly can dream. Who are you becoming, and how does she live her life? The more vivid that you can make this vision, the stronger your connection to it will be. And when your vision is clear, when you can see it, when you can feel it, your goals become so obvious. And when your goals are clear, your daily habits are going to follow. When you can see this person, how she's acting and showing up, you already see it happening. So you give yourself a little bit of confidence. And if you feel that confidence in your vision, guess what? You're going to show up more confidently, because you've already played out what these habits look like.

Now that you've done this, and I hope that you do... I hope you can feel how much passion I have behind this topic, because it goes so much further beyond "follow this workout plan, follow this macro guide and these numbers, and track your meals." Once you do these activities, now that you've connected with your higher self and you've defined your vision, it's time to actually set goals that align with it.

So here's how to do that. It's not about "I want to lose weight" or "I want to tone up" or "I want to look good in a bikini" anymore. Start with your why. Ask yourself, what do I want, and why do I want it? Write it down. Be honest with yourself. If your reason doesn't make you emotional or fired up, then go deeper. Dig deeper. The biggest thing that I can say, and a huge takeaway for you guys to connect all of this, is you have to be emotionally tied to this vision. And it can't come from a place of lack. It has to come from a different and higher perspective of abundance, that you can accomplish all the things that you put your mind to.

The second thing is make your goals specific and actionable. Instead of saying "I want to be healthier" or "I want to lose weight," say, "I'm going to prioritize nutrient-dense meals and strength training three to four times a week to feel stronger and more energized."

And the last thing is focus on progress-oriented goals, not just outcomes. Instead of "I want to lose 10 pounds," say, "I am tracking my macros daily and I hit my protein goals to support fat loss and muscle growth."

The difference here is outstanding. Is that even a word? The difference here is huge. Outcome goals are the result. Process goals are the actions that get you there. I've talked about this before: the processes by which you get to your goals are the way that you will accomplish them, not just focusing on the outcome. Focus on process, systems and processes, not the outcome. The outcome goals are the result. The process goals are the actions that are going to get you to that result. When you focus on process, you are consistently and constantly winning.

This is what most people overlook, though: the energy that you bring to your goals matters. If you're constantly focusing on what you don't have, like "I hate my body," "I'm so far from my goal," or "progress is taking forever," as I said, you are operating from a place of lack, and that energy only creates more frustration. So what do you think you're going to get on a daily basis? You're going to continue to do things that are in alignment with that type of feeling. I hate my body, therefore I'm going to eat more candy. I'm so far from my goal, therefore I'm going to go off the rails this weekend, because I feel like my goal is never going to happen. It's operating from a place of lack.

Instead, you need to shift your mindset to abundance, as I'm saying, to gratitude, to acceptance, to receiving the things that God's going to put into your reality that are going to show you the path forward to accomplishing your goals. Celebrate every small win. Celebrate every positive change. Start each day writing down things that you are grateful for, or thinking about things that you are grateful for.

I'm on a 60-day streak of meditation right now. Every morning, it's 15 minutes of gratitude. I think about the things that I'm open to receiving and the gifts that God has given me. And then I'm celebrating them, and I'm sharing my gratitude for them, I'm celebrating my appreciation for them, and then I'm open and ready for more.

This simple practice raises your energy. It raises your confidence. It helps you to stay focused and motivated, and even dabble in being disciplined if you can get onto a streak like the one I'm on with meditation, or just think about these things when you first wake up. If you first wake up and think about lack, what are you going to get? More lack. If you first wake up in the morning and think about things that you're grateful for, what are you going to get? More things to be grateful for.

So every day, spend just five minutes. All I ask, guys, is five minutes. And look, if you're spending five minutes scrolling, that's not in alignment with your future self. Do a different five minutes. You have to do something different than what you're doing now in order to get different results. Spend five minutes visualizing your higher self. See her waking up. See her choosing nourishing foods. See her crushing her workout and feeling amazing in her body. See her stepping into the room with the utmost confidence and the power of self-worth and self-value that she has. Feel those emotions. Feel the emotions of pride. Feel the emotions of joy. Feel the emotions of confidence that come along with that vision. Feel all of those things. Feel the emotions that you see her holding.

And look, let me preface that this stuff is not woo-woo. This stuff is legitimately energy. It's science. It's the universal law. And I can say that with the utmost confidence because in the last three to four months, I have seen how the universe and God have shown up for me in the last 10 years of my life. I am now stepping into more faith because I see it more, and I am in alignment with myself more. And I promise you that these things work.

It also comes with you believing it. If you don't believe it, it's not going to work. If you don't have faith, it's not going to work. Or maybe it does work and you just don't see it, and God is showing up in some way, shape, or form, giving you the path. But there are subconscious beliefs that need to be rewritten so you can see more clearly and have more awareness.

The biggest thing to take away is the emotions that I talked about. Feeling the emotions of abundance. Feeling the emotions of confidence. Feeling the emotions of pride. Feeling the emotions of joy. Feeling the emotions of, dang, I feel sexy. Or, dang, I look good.

And when challenges come up, you go back to that vision. You ask yourself, what would my higher self do right now? It should be like WWHSD. I'm thinking about "What would Jesus do" and trying to make an acronym of it. But what would my higher self do right now? When things get challenging, because they will. Come March, people fall off the bandwagon. And April is the moment where everybody goes back to how they were acting the last half of last year: not following through, not showing up, not committed, stalling. This is where challenges will happen. And you have to ask yourself, okay, what would my higher self do? Would she skip the workout, or would she show up for herself? This is why I always say keep the promises you make to yourself. It's not about being perfect. It's about showing up for yourself one choice at a time.

So this is more than just setting goals going into the new year, guys. That's why I wanted to save this episode for today, because the new year is two days away. It's more than just setting these goals. It's more than just saying I want to lose weight. It's about becoming the strongest, most empowered version of yourself, and I want nothing more than that for you in 2025. It's about tapping into your higher self. It's about letting her guide you, letting God guide you toward the life and the body that you want. And it's already there. This is already done. But do you choose to step into that, into her? Do you choose to show up as her? The choice is yours.

So what I want you guys to do, later on today, or tomorrow when it's New Year's Eve, or even on New Year's Day: write about your higher self. Define one goal that feels deeply meaningful to you. Write it down. Visualize it daily. And most importantly, attach the emotion of what that accomplishment feels like, and then take action that aligns with it. Okay?

I hope this episode helped you guys. I hope it resonated with you. If it did, share it with somebody who also needs to hear this. And if you're ready for personalized support, if you're ready for someone to guide you along the way in 2025, someone who's going to hold you accountable, someone you can talk out loud with about this vision you have for yourself, someone who's going to make sure that you take action daily, call you out, or help you through the challenges you need to get through in order to stay aligned with that goal, then check out WarriorBabe. Our coaching is designed to help you step into your higher self. That's what we do. We're so much more than just macros and workouts. We want to create an overall, ultimate transformation for you, and this is the way that we do it. All right? The link is in the description below. WarriorBabe.com. Check it out. Apply. You deserve it.

2025 is your year. It's just about the choices that you are going to make, if you're ready to step into who you want to become. I believe in you, and I know that you've got this. And if you're ready, we're ready at WarriorBabe. So again, go check out that link. And keep going. Keep becoming. She's already there. She's waiting for you to show up as her. So go get her. Go show up. Keep the promises that you're making to yourself on a daily basis to become her. Okay? I love you guys. I'll see you in the next episode.

Hey, really quick, before you go, I have one small favor to ask. If this episode brought you value or sparked something in you, take just a moment to hit that review button. Your rating and review make all of the difference, helping more women discover the tools they need to transform their fitness and their confidence. It takes less than a minute, but it can change the path of someone else's journey. Thank you so much for leaving that review. I appreciate you so much. Thank you.