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“The Great Lock In” can help you achieve your financial and wellness goals
By Adriana Murga, The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — As the end of 2025 approaches, a virus is spreading TikTok trend Helps People Achieve Their Health Goals: “The Great Lock In” encourages participants to finish the year strong by focusing fully on their life goals from September 1 through December 31.
Many people focus on exercising or eating healthy. But this trend can also help you achieve your goal Financial goals.
There are no set rules for “The Great Lock In”. The phrase “locking in” is popular on social media and means focusing intensely on a task.
“The thing I like about this particular trend is that it’s like the little sister to New Year’s resolutions,” said Lindsay Brianne-Podvin, a financial therapist and founder of Mind Money Balance, a podcaster and financial health blogger.
For Julissa Mercedes, 28, one of her consistent goals is to create a $2,500 emergency savings fund.
“Having some cash will make me feel a little safer,” said Mercedes, who lives in San Diego and works in finance. Aside from building an emergency fund, Mercedes has three other goals: making new friends, creating a morning routine, and taking up a new hobby.
The Great Lock is meant to help people achieve New Year’s Resolutions That probably fell by the wayside. If you start your year by planning… Pay off debts By cutting down on unnecessary expenses that you still have to follow up on, this challenge may help you achieve that goal.
“I think this appeals to a lot of people who are tired of feeling stuck and like they can’t make any progress,” said Ben Markley, personal finance teacher and host of YNAB’s Sketchy Advice, a budgeting app.
If you’re thinking about participating in “The Great Lock In,” or if you’re already doing so, here are some expert recommendations for achieving your financial goals:
Review your finances
To build a goal that works for you, it’s essential to review your finances, Brian Podvin said. She suggested you review your bank account and spend some time knowing how much you earn each month, as well as what you spend on it.
If you’ve made a new year’s resolution about finances, this could be a good opportunity to check in on your progress and see if you need to reevaluate your approach.
Set goals that are achievable
When participating in a challenge, it’s best to set achievable goals, Markle said. Sometimes online challenges inspire people to make big changes, but they can also lead them to create unattainable goals.
“A lot of people can’t handle it at all, so they give up,” he said. “Or they maintain it, but then they go back to their normal lives after the challenge, and their spending habits basically haven’t changed.”
Setting a realistic goal regarding your budget and lifestyle is the best way to ensure you can achieve it by the end of the challenge. Brian Podvin recommends looking at “The Great Lock In” as a 5K race, not a marathon.
Focus on building habits
To continue achieving your financial goals through 2026, Markley recommends focusing some of your fixed goals on building new habits or skills.
For example, if your goal is to stop spending on takeout meals, focus on building a cooking-related habit.
“Find easy meals that you can cook at home at your skill level, so you have something to fall back on when you want to eat out,” Markley said.
A great way to help create a habit is to use a habit tracker. It can be as simple as setting reminders on your phone or downloading an app that sends you regular notifications, Brian Podvin said.
Create community and accountability
Social media can be a good place to find community support to achieve your goals, whether that’s joining a Facebook group, commenting on creator videos, or publishing your own content.
With “The Great Lock In” challenge starting at the beginning of September, Mercedes also decided to document her experience on TikTok. Sharing her journey with her followers helps with accountability, she said.
“Seeing people still watching and following my content makes me feel like they are part of the journey too,” Mercedes said.
Think about your relationship with money
As you use “The Great Lock In” trend to achieve your financial goals, take a moment to think about your overall relationship with money.
“Give each dollar a specific function so that when you spend you’re not going on autopilot, you’re being intentional with your money and making sure it’s going toward the things you need and the things that matter to you,” Markle said.
Sit regularly, either alone or With your partnerReviewing your spending habits can help you achieve your long-term financial goals.
It’s okay if it’s not for you
Markle said: If you try this challenge and discover that it does not suit you, that is okay.
“You can find something else that’s successful, and it won’t be a reflection of who you are if you don’t succeed in The Great Lock-In,” he added.
While social media challenges can help inspire people to achieve their goals, it’s not worth adding unnecessary stress to your life because of a challenge. “Not every trend is for everyone, and there are many other ways you can achieve your financial goals,” Markle said.
The Associated Press receives support from the Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent organization is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
How ‘The Great Lock In’ can help achieve your financial and wellness goals
