Trend Fatigue & the Great Lock-In 2025: Choose Your Path (Not the Algorithm)
- For Your Inner G
- Sep 16
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 18
What everyone’s talking about (and why you’re feeling pulled)
Creators are calling it the Great Lock-In: the Sept→Dec push to “lock in” on your goals before January.
Think: finish-the-year-strong sprints, strict rules, lots of “discipline era” language.
Media explainers and wellness sites are covering it, with both enthusiasm and cautions about going too hard or too one-size-fits-all.
If you're already focused on your plan for the New Year and this trend supports your plan, then zoom full throttle ahead.....but if you're just working a plan together to participate in the trend....let's talk.
Trend FOMO? You’re not alone
I know how it's been going lately: You save 17 “lock-in” videos, feel amped for 10 minutes about zoning in…then as the feeling fades...so does your enthusiasm.
Although you may have goals, the videos surrounding the trend and the pressure to show up can be a lot to handle. All of a sudden, your choices begin to feel borrowed, your schedule gets louder, and the purpose of the trend and it's possible value shifts.
This sort of experience can make many appear lazy, when It might be a case of trend fatigue.
Don't worry! This is solvable with a pause and a plan.
Start with the Lock-In Check….
The Lock-In Check (10 minutes, phone away)
Timer on. No performing—just truth.
Keep it honest, not heroic.
Everything doesn’t deserve your time or energy.
The TRUST Test (use on any trend)
T — Truth (alignment): Does it fit my values, voice, and where God is leading me now? Red flag: I’d have to posture or hide.
R — Resources (capacity): Do I have time/energy/money without stealing from sleep, margins, or mission-critical work?
U — Uniqueness (my way): Can I do it in my tone/pace/visuals without diminishing what makes me…me? If no, trust erodes.
S — Season (timing): Does this fit my current constraints? If it needs a future me → Not Yet.
T — Tomorrow will Come: Will I regret participating in the trend? If my future doesn’t support it, neither will I.
Pass = 4/5 or better.
Anything less becomes a “parked idea” to review in 30 days.
Your 14-Day Soul-Aligned Plan (an alternative to a 120-day grind)
Lock in on capacity, not theatrics.
Pick 1–3 outcomes that move your real work:
Sleep: ≥4 nights of 7+ hours (your week feels steadier).
White-Space: 10–20 minutes daily (phone away) to reduce reactivity.
With-ness: 1 offline touchpoint/week (human connection or purposeful creation). Learn more here
Deep Work: 20 minutes/day on the one project that actually matters.
Boundaries: device sunset (screens + bright lights off 60–90 min pre-bed) and caffeine cut-off (~8 hours before lights-out).
These are the humane guardrails to help you personalize, avoid extremes, and favor habits you can sustain.
Soul Aligned Tracker
Review on Day 14 (10 minutes):
What moved the needle most?
What can I keep as-is?
What do I adapt?
What do I stop?
Statements that protect your pace if you decide... :
Not this season: “Thanks for the idea. I’m heads-down on (name what you’re working on) through November. If it’s still aligned in December, I’ll revisit.”
Adapt, don’t adopt: “I’ll borrow the format, but I’m keeping my own voice and pace.”
Capacity check: “To try this well, I’d need to pause (name the priority you’re currently focused on) for two weeks. That trade-off doesn’t serve 2026. Passing for now.”
Journal Prompts to help you Gain Clarity (choose 2)
Where did I learn that fast = faithful? What would steady look like this week?
If my 2026 self sent a note, what would they beg me not to chase?
Which trend have I been worshiping that doesn’t match my mission?
What would “my way” look like—color, cadence, caption, boundary?
The Great Lock-In 2025 can amplify you—or erase you.
Your work isn’t to fight culture; it’s to remember your call and move like someone who trusts it.
You’re allowed to rest without guilt.
You’re allowed to pass on trends that don’t fit the season you’re in.
It’s holy to be who you are, where you are, and to honor what truly matters to you.
Let that be your Great Lock-In: locking into alignment, capacity, and a pace you can live with.
Your pace is worthy—good, visible, and worth your time.
With Love,
Dr. Amirah
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Want to Go Deeper?
Join The Inner G Collective and access exclusive tools to support your journey.
✨ Need more support on your journey?
Explore our healing + growth tools—mindfulness journals, affirmation cards, and poetic guides—each crafted to help you stay grounded, inspired, and emotionally well.
These aren’t just products. They’re soul tools—for the version of you that’s ready to thrive.
🌀 Stay close.
Subscribe to A Gym for the Mind for insights, reflection prompts, and resources that meet you right where you are.
Amirah B. Abdullah, DrPH
Founder of For Your Inner G | Writer + Wellness Educator
Dr. Amirah is a mindset and emotional wellness guide helping ambitious souls shift perspective, deepen self-awareness, and heal with intention. Through her blog, A Gym for the Mind, she shares poetic reflections, grounded strategies, and soulful truths to support your personal growth journey.
©For Your Inner G - All Rights Reserved
