Everyone is talking about the "great lock-in"
But is it all it’s cracked up to be? And how can you make habits stick past the end of 2026?
January isn’t the only time for new year’s resolutions anymore. The end of the year is having a moment too - as part of the great lock-in trend. There’s lots of content online about locking in for the last four months of the year - whether that’s working out more regularly, spending less time on your phone, or trying to get that promotion at work.
Some people call it a winter arc, a September reset or the fresh-start effect - why have so many of us decided this is the perfect time for self-improvement? And is striving for optimisation all the time necessarily a good thing?
We hear from Adeja Shivonne, a lifestyle content creator based in New York City, who shares how her great lock-in is going. And BBC journalist Melissa Hogenboom explains what the science says about how to successfully set new goals - and stick to them.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: William Lee Adams and Chelsea Coates
Video Producer: Tim Hodges
Editor: Emily Horler
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