Welcome to 2026!
With each New Year comes the desire to improve upon years past. Hence, the New Year’s Resolution.
A common resolution is “getting in shape” by eating healthy and exercising regularly.
It’s not always so easy to stick to the “Getting in Shape Plan”. In fact, it’s estimated that between 80 and 88% of New Year’s Resolutions fail by February!
That’s rough…
But all is not lost. If being healthier is your goal for 2026, that’s amazing! Pat yourself on the back for taking the very first step – acknowledging that there needs to be a change.
Behavior Change is Hard…
People generally know what to do to be healthier. They know about eating 5 fruits and vegetables per day, drinking water instead of sugary drinks, exercising 4-5 days a week etc. But knowing is only part of the battle.
The hard part is the doing.
Behavior change is hard, its NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
Here are a few simple tips you can use to make sure your New Year’s Resolution goals successful…
- Make sure your goals are Specific & Measurable: So, instead of aiming to “exercise more”, you could aim to “walk for 30 minutes for 3 days a week”. Instead of aiming “eat healthier,” try aiming to “eat 2 vegetables at lunch or dinner every day”.
- Make sure your goals are Achievable & Relevant: So, for example, running 10 kilometers every Saturday sounds like a great goal! But is that realistic based on your current fitness level? If it is, then by all means go for it! If not, don’t set yourself up for disappointment. Start with a goal that you can realistically achieve, and go from there. Consider walking or jogging 1-2 kilometers at first and gradually build your way to the 10 kilometers. SOMETHING IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN NOTHING AT ALL.
- Make sure your goals are Timely: Don’t set goals without deadlines! A goal without a deadline is just a dream. Setting a deadline will help you to focus and achieve your goal.
- Try to find the joy in your resolution: If you enjoy it, you’ll be more likely to stick to it.
- Don’t choose running just because other people are doing it. If you would prefer to do dancing instead, go for it!
- Start off small, and grow from there: When you start off with goals that are small and acheiveble, you experience a sense of accomplishment when you reach them. This will give you the confidence you need to set another more ambitious goal.
- Consistency is key: Be consistent! No matter how small the habit may seem. Exercising for 5 or 10 minutes everyday is MUCH BETTER than exercising 1 hour every 2 weeks (which can happen when you push too hard too fast).
- Find a health journey partner: Share your health/fitness goals with someone who wants to achieve the same. You can hold each other accountable. For example: if you have to go to the gym by yourself at 5 am, you may talk yourself out of it, but if your friend is already there waiting for you, you will be more likely to go.
- Expect Imperfection: It’s okay to slip-up once in a while. You are human. The important thing is to get back up again. Don’t quit your health goals because you weren’t perfect. Be gentle with yourself.
Wishing you the very best of luck!
There’s no time like the present to choose to live a healthier life. Congratulations to you if you’ve made that commitment. With the steps outlined above, I’m sure you’ll reach your goals!
Good luck!
Comments
2 responses
Will you be issuing a schedule of planned walks soon?
Hi there! Thanks for asking. We plan to walk 2 Sundays each month – the second and last. We will give out the schedule at the beginning of each month. This month we will be walking on Sunday January 25th at 6 am. If you are interested, you can use this link to sign-up, Click Here We would love to have you there!