New Year, New Ways to Reach Your Goals

Do you repeatedly set the same New Year’s resolutions, only to find yourself back where you started by the next year? When it comes to resolutions, it’s easy to get discouraged aiming for the same goal over and over again. But take heart. This year can be different.

Here are some invaluable tips from Emily Adams, a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach and Active&Fit’s Program Manager of Coach Performance. And these are all backed up by research. Use these tips to make 2025 the year you reach your goal.

Tip 1: When choosing a resolution, consider the real values and goals behind it. Knowing the important values behind your resolution will help you stick with it even when it is hard. Try answering “the 4 whys.” Here’s an example of the popular New Year resolution of working out regularly and losing weight.

• Q: Why are you thinking about the same resolution you have tried and failed to keep before? A: Because I want to lose weight.

• Q: Why do you want to lose weight? A: Because I want my clothes to fit better and allow me to move more easily.

• Q: Why are you concerned with moving more easily? A: Because I want to hike with my family and play with my children.

• Q: Why do you want to hike and play? A: My family is important to me, and my health is important because I need to be there for the ones I love.

Tip 2: Consider what you’ve learned from past goals and experiences. Take a moment to reflect on your past efforts to become more active. What approaches felt successful for you? Which ones didn’t go as planned? It’s completely normal to have mixed experiences, and understanding them can help you move forward positively. What can you learn from this to make a resolution that will fit you better?

For example, consider whether certain times of day work best for you to do an activity.

Are you energized and motivated being around others or are you at your best when you have time to focus and reflect by yourself? Do you prefer to work out in a gym or outdoors?

Tip 3: Chart a new course to that goal and set out on a journey of discovery. Adams encourages people to be open to trying new ways of reaching goals. She gives the example of choosing a short-term goal rather than a goal that can take a long time to reach.

“If your expectations are too high, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. If you set a goal to exercise 5 days a week by March and you start January 1, give yourself time to get there with small steps. Maybe the first week you try one new workout to see if you like it. Gradually build up to working out 5 days a week for 30 minutes a day by March.”

Whether your resolution is new or a repeat, it’s important to find people who will cheer you on. Adams says, “When you make a New Year’s resolution, you can turn to your friends, family, or coworkers to help you keep it. For example, if you resolve to be more active, ask your friends to go on walks with you rather than sitting at happy hour in a restaurant.”

Make 2025 the year you forge a path to success and conquer your New Year’s resolutions. You can do it!

Written and provided by Active&Fit Direct