The Great Lock In of 2026

A blog by Pepetoe.

If you are pretty active on socials like TikTok and Instagram, you may have seen a term floating around since the start of the colder months called “The Great Lock In”. If you’re not familiar with this term, I’ll explain it for you. The Great Lock In is essentially a new term for the “winter arc”, a time where individuals buckle down in self-improvement, discipline, consistency and positive habits to better themselves and to achieve their goals, whether that’s in fitness, work, or within themselves. “Locking in” means removing distractions and concentrating intensely on specific goals. “Winter Arc” and this term alike are usually trending towards the end of the year, where people focus on their goals before a new year commences to get ahead of the curve.

What I want to explore with you today is this idea of 2026 being our year to “lock in” and to develop ourselves and reach our goals in the way that’s comfortable and realistic for us.

Remember SMART goals? You may still use this dated structure in work when discussing KPIs with your manager. Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound. Let’s use this to help explain and describe how our 2026 is going to look. No, we’re not talking about New Year’s Resolutions, but rather habits and goals that are going to help us reach our future goals and dreams, by breaking them down into simple steps along the way, starting today. Welcome, to the the Great Lock In of 2026.

Over the last couple years, I’ve ditched following trends and routines for the sake of “fitting in” online. You may have seen a few critiques from me here on Pepetoe on certain trends around diet culture, intense routines like “75 Hard” and more like this. But, maybe the idea of “locking in” in something we can all relate to and carry with us; this may be one of the first trends to do good rather than harm.

Sure, a lot of people refer to their “Great Lock In” in relation to intense training routines, forcing themselves to wake up at a stupid early hour, or sicking to rigid habits and lifestyles. I’m not talking about these things – and, yes, I could probably do a whole other critique on this as well! Instead, I’m addressing the idea of a “lock in” for our inner selves, for the work we do on a daily basis that doesn’t include exercise or eating our greens. Looking out for the future you is what this “lock in” is about.

2025 was a year of change and shedding for so many people, and most people I know are holding out on the same mentality that we were meant to go through all of that pain and hardship to allow 2026 to take us by storm and allow us to rise above and claim the soft confidence we’ve been yearning for for so long. So, how do we do that?

Redefining What It Means to “Lock In”

When I talk about locking in for 2026, I’m not talking about restriction, punishment, or becoming unrecognisable in the pursuit of self-improvement. I’m talking about intention. Direction. Choosing where your energy goes instead of letting it be pulled everywhere at once.

For me, locking in looks quieter than what we’re shown online. It looks like fewer distractions, fewer opinions, and fewer voices telling me what I should be doing. It’s less about adding more to my plate, and more about committing to what actually matters. Even when it’s unglamorous, slow, or invisible to everyone else.

The Great Lock In isn’t about becoming someone new overnight. It’s about showing up consistently for the life you say you want, in ways that don’t burn you out in the process.

Locking In Doesn’t Mean Locking Yourself Away

One of the biggest misconceptions around this trend is that locking in means isolation. Cutting everyone off. Becoming rigid. Saying no to anything that doesn’t directly serve a goal. Sustainable growth doesn’t happen in extremes. You don’t need to disappear from your life to improve it.

Instead, locking in might mean:

being more selective with your time
saying no to things that leave you drained
choosing rest without guilt
prioritising depth over constant stimulation

It’s not about punishment. It’s about protection. Protecting your energy, your focus, and your sense of self while you build something meaningful.

A Softer, Smarter Approach to Goals

This is where SMART goals might actually come back into the conversation. Not in a corporate, KPI-driven way, but in a way that helps us stay grounded.

If 2026 is about locking in, then our goals need to be:

Specific enough that we know what we’re working towards
Measurable in ways that don’t rely on perfection
Attainable without sacrificing our mental health
Realistic within the life we actually live
Time-bound without becoming a countdown clock we punish ourselves with

This might look like building consistency in your work instead of chasing constant motivation. It might look like repairing your relationship with yourself before trying to overhaul your body or your routine. It might look like committing to one or two meaningful habits instead of ten unsustainable ones.

Locking in is about long-term trust, not short-term intensity.

The Inner Work Is the Real Lock In

What often gets missed in these conversations is that the hardest part of locking in has nothing to do with productivity or discipline. It’s emotional. It’s choosing to sit with discomfort instead of numbing it. It’s breaking patterns that once kept you safe but now keep you stuck. It’s learning to trust yourself again after a year (or several) of feeling disconnected from who you are.

This kind of work doesn’t show up on a morning routine checklist. It’s invisible. It’s slow. And it’s deeply unglamorous. But it’s also the foundation that everything else stands on. Without it, no routine will stick. No goal will feel fulfilling. No version of success will feel like enough.

From Shedding to Building

If 2025 was about shedding – identities, relationships, expectations, habits that no longer fit – then 2026 is about building from what remains. This is the year where clarity turns into momentum. Where you stop circling the same questions and start moving in a direction that feels right, even if you can’t see the full picture yet.

Locking in doesn’t mean you suddenly have it all figured out. It means you’re willing to commit to the process anyway. To show up. To stay. To choose yourself consistently, not perfectly.

So, How Do We Lock In for 2026?

We start small. We start honestly. We stop waiting for the “perfect” moment and begin with what we have.

We decide what actually matters to us, not what looks impressive online. We set goals that support the life we want to live, not the life we think we should want. And we allow growth to be quiet, personal, and deeply ours.

The Great Lock In of 2026 isn’t about becoming harder, stricter, or more disciplined.