Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
4d ago

‘The Great Lock In’ Takes Off on TikTok as Gen Z Turns Fall Into a Year-End Sprint

Creators describe a decentralized challenge defined by flexible, self-set goals instead of fixed rules.

Image
Image
L: Lebanese yogi Akil leads a yoga session as her dog Goutch rests on a towel nearby along a beach in Lebanon's northern city of Batroun on October 25, 2024. R: Image on May 31, 2025 shows a staff member of Milia Matcha preparing a matcha drink in Tokyo.
Image

Overview

  • The trend urges participants to lock in from early fall to year’s end—often framed as roughly 121 days—to push specific goals.
  • Know Your Meme credits a mid-August TikTok by @shmeat27 as an early catalyst, with the phrase spreading across TikTok and X.
  • High-engagement creator videos, including Tatiana Forbes’s post with hundreds of thousands of views and tens of thousands of likes and saves, have driven visibility.
  • Participants commonly choose one focus area and adopt routines such as goal-tracking, early alarms, meal prep, and fewer social plans to build momentum.
  • Coverage notes there is no official organizer, and wellbeing experts recommend small, sustainable steps while cautioning that the year-end deadline can feel overwhelming.