How to Win the Rest of the Year Without Being Perfect

Every year around this time, I see the same pattern. People feel like if they are not losing weight, hitting new PRs, or seeing obvious changes, then they are falling behind. But I do not see it that way. As a coach, I think holding your ground is one of the most underrated forms of progress.

I probably think of this differently because as a trainer, we learn two important benchmarks: Minimum Effective Volume (MEV) and Minimum Adaptive Volume (MAV). MEV is the minimum amount of effort needed to maintain what you already have. MAV is the amount needed to move forward and create improvement. They serve different purposes. One protects your current fitness. The other builds on it when life gives you the bandwidth to push.

When I talk about people living in the MEV range, I am usually talking about nutrition and daily habits, not training. This time of year, people often feel like they are failing because they are not losing weight every week or because they enjoy holiday meals or nights out with friends. But most of the time, they are doing exactly enough to maintain their health. They are eating well enough, moving enough, and staying mindful enough to keep from going backward. It does not feel glamorous, so it is easy to overlook, but maintenance is a quiet win that deserves more credit.

This is all beautifully summarized by Casey Neistat, in just 27 seconds.

Most adults gain one to two pounds a year as they age, so even maintaining your current weight puts you ahead of the average American. Holding steady is not nothing. It is a meaningful success.

And right now, heading into the holidays, this mindset matters even more. You do not need to wait until January to get started. You also do not need to be perfect. You can enjoy celebrations, travel, dessert, family time, and all the traditions that matter to you. None of that disqualifies you from staying consistent on the other days. If there are thirty or forty days left in the year, those are thirty or forty opportunities to keep yourself close to your goals.

Think of it this way: a few big meals do not outweigh dozens of regular days where you hydrate well, get in a workout, go for a walk, cook a balanced dinner, or simply avoid slipping into patterns that work against you. Progress is rarely about the holidays themselves. It is about everything in between.

I often compare it to a night at a casino. People assume that if they do not walk out with more money, they are losing. But breaking even is a win. You kept what you came in with. Most people lose ground. You did not.

Fitness and nutrition work the same way. Too many people fall into the all or nothing mindset this time of year. If they cannot make major progress, they decide not to try at all. That is usually when the biggest setbacks happen. That is when those yearly pounds creep in. That is when strength fades. That is when restarting in January becomes harder than it needs to be.

You do not need huge wins right now. You do not need perfection. You just need to stay in the game and win the days you can. Holding your ground through the holidays is a strategic play. It protects your fitness, protects your habits, and keeps you close to your goals so you can accelerate when the new year begins.

Give yourself credit for the work it takes to maintain. It is not flashy. It is not dramatic. But it is progress. And when January arrives, you will be in a far better position because you did not drift further from the things you care about.