As the lazy days of summer wind to a close and that go-getter Virgo energy fills the air, it’s only a matter of time before you feel the need to revamp your entire lifestyle. Instead of finishing out the year doing the same old thing — scrolling on your phone, going to bed late, etc. — it’s typical to feel a burst of motivation and a desire to try something new.
Last fall, around this same time, everyone was obsessed with completing a winter arc or attempting a 75 Hard. This year, the same type of challenge has been repackaged as the Great Lock-In of 2025, aka the viral TikTok trend that shows people “locking in” and overhauling their daily routines.
Lasting from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, the Great Lock-In encourages you to prioritize yourself as you zero in on your goals. Creator @mahima.p shared her lock-in list, which included waking up before 7 a.m., doing Pilates two times a week, meditating, and journaling daily. “Officially only four months left in the year,” she wrote in her caption. “It’s time to lock in!”
In another video, creator @_tatianaforbes said the next four months are more than enough time to completely overhaul your life. “[The lock-in] is meant to be this time where you put forth immense effort in some area of your life,” she said in a viral clip. “It can be fitness, it can be your finances, it can be your career — it can be all the things.” Here’s what to know about the Great Lock-In, how to try it, and what an expert has to say.
What Is The Great Lock-In?
According to @_tatianaforbes, the Great Lock-In is essentially a promise that you make to yourself. Once you decide to lock in, you’ll dedicate extra energy to the things on your to-do list — and the goal is to keep going through to December.
If you stick with it, she says you can build confidence, feel better mentally and physically, and ultimately see a lifestyle change. If nothing else, it should feel amazing to show up for yourself. Brianna Paruolo, LCMHC, a psychotherapist and founder of On Par Therapy in New York City, agrees.
Lasting four months, from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, it can provide a foundation to get you out of a rut. “We all have to start somewhere, and when you find yourself experiencing a rut, it can be hard to feel like you have to build a system from scratch,” she tells Bustle. “The Great Lock-In can be used as a suggestion and molded into what you feel might be the best for your lifestyle.”
So, What Does It Look Like?
While the Great Lock-In rules are completely customizable, they often include wellness habits like getting better sleep, drinking more water, and limiting screen time. Some lists include everyday habits that are said to improve wellbeing, like tidying up before bed, meditating, or reading 10 pages in a book.
Some people choose to focus on their finances, which might mean budgeting their life, saving more money, or taking on extra hours at work for four months straight to stack some cash. Others embrace career boosters, like posting regularly on social media or taking a class.
Similar to the 75 Hard, fitness goals often take center stage as part of the Great Lock-In, which might mean going to the gym before work, hitting leg day three times a week, or striving to take 10,000 steps a day.
On TikTok, @mahima.p broke her list down into four categories — mental, physical, spiritual, and other — and featured chill, wellness-boosting habits like reading, resting, and regular sauna visits, which she hoped to make a big part of her life.
Meanwhile, TikTok creator @silkx.co shared a list making rounds on the app that’s a little more intense, with goals like not drinking alcohol and eating more protein. But again, what you choose to lock into is completely up to you. In her comments, someone said, “Make your own rules, people! It’s about being accountable to your own improvement.”
How To Actually Lock In
Challenges like the Great Lock-In always seem exciting at first glance, but give it a couple of weeks, and your energy might start to fizzle, especially if you take on too much at once.
According to Paruolo, allowing yourself to be flexible is key to sticking with your lock-in long-term. “The goal should be progress and well-being, not perfection,” she tells Bustle. If you need a day off or want to drop something from your list, that’s OK.
To encourage yourself to stay committed, she also recommends writing down the “why” behind your goals. “Let's say you want to journal more,” she says. “Go a little further into why you want to journal. Start to explore how you want to feel and what you want to get out of it.” It’ll help your goals feel more concrete, versus something that you’re trying just because it’s on trend.
Monthly check-ins can help too. As you go through your Lock-In, Paruolo suggests reflecting on what you’re getting out of it, if there’s anything that needs to be tweaked, and how you feel. By acknowledging that you do, in fact, love drinking more water or going on more walks, you should be able to sail through to December.
Source:
Brianna Paruolo, LCMHC, psychotherapist, founder of On Par Therapy
