Let’s guess: You did your best to achieve your New Year’s resolution on January 1st. This will finally be the year you start meal prepping, waking up early, or sticking to a workout routine. But now we are in the middle of January, and nothing has changed.
It’s not just you. It’s human nature, according to Sohaib Imtiaz, MD, MPH, chief medical officer at health.
“People have an all-or-nothing mentality,” says Imtiaz. “We want to do something perfectly, and if we don’t do it, we give up on it completely.”
Maintaining resolution doesn’t have to be impossible. You just need the right checklist. And the franchise only has the frame. He urges people to create SMART goals:
- specific: Make your goal or resolution as specific as possible. Instead of saying you’ll exercise every day, add some details. (“I’ll go bike riding or try a HIIT class.”)
- Measurable: Set parameters. If you plan to bike, commit to doing so for a specific number of days and for a specific period of time.
- It can be achieved: If you are new to an activity, keep your current abilities in mind.
- TRUE: The goal you are pursuing should be realistic for your lifestyle and preferences. If you hate leafy greens, a daily spinach juice probably isn’t for you.
- Time related: Consider giving yourself a time limit or deadline to complete your goal.
Imtiaz uses a smart checklist to help him stick to his own goals for 2025, which include getting back into shape after becoming a new father derailed his workout schedule last year.
“My New Year’s resolution is to focus on more cardiovascular exercise,” he says. “I also prioritize weekly sauna sessions to help improve my recovery between workouts, which is important for me as I get older.”
He also gives himself some grace and balances priorities, as anyone trying to achieve a new goal or resolution of magnitude should.
“You don’t have to be perfect. If you have a bad day, put it behind you. Work to recover,” says Imtiaz. “I’ve learned the importance of balance when it comes to working out and eating well. If you have too many rules, you’re more likely to break them.”
Whatever your health goals are this year, the guides below are a great way to start a realistic wellness journey. It’s not too late to make a decision or restart.
“The best time to start is when you are determined to do it,” says Imtiaz.