Why Your Resolutions Don’t Usually Stick and How to Change That…

Dec 22

January often breathes new life into us with hope for a better year and possibilities around the corner. But sometimes this energy for fresh-starts leads us to set goals with our rose colored glasses on. While these goals are set with the best of intentions they fail to account for the realities of daily life. So let’s set a New Year’s resolution this year to change that! Here are some tips to help you set goals you can ACTUALLY stick to for the whole year and beyond.

Keep setting goals all year long, not just in January…

What I mean by this is break your big ambitious goals up into smaller more attainable goals that get spread throughout the year. Start with that big lofty goal, but then break it down and ask yourself what do the daily habit changes look like? If you want to eat healthier and run a marathon by 2027, set a target number of workouts each week. Plan a rehab schedule to make sure your body can stay healthy during training. Assess specific dietary habits and choose one to hone in on for improving health. Reassess at the end of each month and set new goals for the next month to keep building on these daily habits.

Understand your “why”

If your goal is to run a marathon this year that is a great goal, but why is that important to you? Is it a way to motivate yourself to go to the gym and be more active? Is it to get more social interaction and join the running club you have been considering? Is it to prove to yourself you can still do hard things even though you are getting older? It is important to dig into your “why” when you are setting goals to help them stick. Surface level goals are easy to brush off when we are lacking motivation, but if you can consistently remind yourself of why you are committing to a new routine it can make sticking to it so much easier.

Be flexible

Sometimes life is going to get in the way. You are going to sleep through your alarm and miss that morning run. Maybe you get sick or get an injury and can’t stick to your training plan. That is all a part of life, and it is inevitably going to happen. Instead of getting discouraged and derailed altogether, set up a plan B. Maybe you didn’t get that full run in, but do you have time to get a shorter run in at lunch? If you have an injury preventing you from completing your true training plan could you go back to that “why” and take the dog for a walk instead if your underlying motivation is simply to be more active? Find some alternatives that feel appropriate for you and set them in motion when life happens.

What are some of my goals?

Looking for inspiration? Here are some of the goals I am setting for the upcoming year. I like to split mine into different categories so I can focus on making sure I have balance in my life and am not focusing too much energy in one area. I will split these goals up throughout the year rather than focusing on incorporating every single one of these at the start of January. This helps to keep me on track and maintain the goals I have already accomplished while working towards building in new areas.

Wellness: Incorporate yoga or active recovery into my workout routine 1-2 times per week.
- Why: I am always in a better mood when I start my day with some gentle movement and take time to slow down. I want to be more intentional with my time this year and not rush through my weeks.
Health: Try 1 new recipe each week.
- Why: I love cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, it is my way of relieving stress. I particularly want to try and make some fun pastas and smoked meats to expand my cooking range.
Creativity: Make time for craft projects once a quarter.
- Why: I enjoy tapping into the creative side of my brain and know it will bring me joy to see these projects in their final state. I also know I get overwhelmed by thinking about how much time it will take me to finish each project, so I want to intentionally complete these projects in a timeline that can remain enjoyable without feeling daunting.
Social: Host a family dinner or game night each season.
- Why: I want to strengthen bonds with friends and family this year and make sure people know how special they are to me. I love hosting seasonal parties with themes and don’t want to put too much pressure on myself or my friends to carve out time for too many events. If one season is too busy, I am going to have a plan B of meeting for coffee or making smaller intentional connections to avoid over scheduling.
Career: Become fluent(ish) in Spanish
- Why: A lot of my athletes are native Spanish speakers and I want to better connect with them this year. I recognize fluency doesn’t happen over night, but if I can start to have basic conversations to build rapport this year maybe next year I can have a full consult in Spanish.
Love: Plan a date night once a week
- Why: I have a tendency to over book myself and prioritize accomplishing tasks over making time for connection. My partner is amazing and I want to make sure they feel how appreciated they are.

I hope some of these help with sparking thoughts for your own goals in 2026. Writing them down and sharing with others is another great way to help hold yourself accountable :)

Happy New Year’s!