How To Restart Your New Year's Resolution and Stick To It

When choosing to embark on a fitness journey, you are choosing to commit to the betterment of your health and well-being. It can be common to veer away from fitness goals once the new year hype fades over time and other priorities take precedent over your new years resolution. We have all experienced setbacks of some sort in the pursuit of our goals – from our level of motivation to the demands of life. However, it is never too late to reignite that desire for a healthier lifestyle and recommit once more to that new year’s resolution you planned and make it a lasting one to improve your wellness. Look at some effective strategies to help you recommit and stay committed to your new years resolution and wellness goals.

Set Smart Goals

When rebooting your fitness journey, setting SMART goals can be an effective step to the success of meeting those goals. For reference, SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound. Applying SMART goals to your fitness journey can be extremely helpful because it is designed to break down lofty goals into realistic, bite-sized pieces, which can also make them more attainable to achieve. Learn more about how this strategy works and how it can help you restart your healthy new year’s resolution and stick to it:

Get Specific With Your Goals

Make sure your goals are as concrete as possible. An example would be “Aim for 2,000 steps a day” or “Go to the gym three times a week”. Setting specific goals can help you narrow in on exactly what you’re working towards so you can evaluate your performance against the goal over time.

Your Goals Must Be Measurable

This makes it easier to track and be accountable for your progress. Make sure that what you’re measuring is relevant to the goal and is directly impacted by your ability to stick to the goal and follow-through over time.

Your Goals Should Be Achievable

You need to make sure that you can actually achieve your goals and there aren’t arbitrary hurdles in the way or the goal is too lofty and you’re setting yourself up for failure. As you’re evaluating whether your goal is achievable, you should take into account existing circumstances and resources available to you. Make sure your goals are meaningful to you and align with your fitness goals.

Your Goals Should be Time-Bound

Setting your goals with a timeline in mind can provide a sense of urgency and combat potential procrastination. Get in the habit of setting specific deadlines to your goals, like “I want to lose 10 pounds in 3 months” or “I want to run a 5K in 4 months”. Doing so can hold you accountable and motivate you when meeting your objectives. Setting a goal to a timeline can also help you identify what you need to do to progressively get there and some measurable points you can set to see if you’re on track, behind, or ahead of your wellness goals. By following the SMART framework, you can be on the right path to meet your fitness goals and restart your new years resolution.

Utilize Personalized Plans

Creating a fitness plan or wellness plan to help you live a healthier lifestyle is crucial when working towards your fitness goals and can enhance your overall success. To create a fitness plan or wellness plan, you should consider your current fitness level and any existing health concerns or limitations you may have. Once you have done this, you can tailor your plan to accommodate your lifestyle and goals.

 Sometimes, tailoring your own plan can be overwhelming, but a healthcare professional can assist you by providing guidance and insight and help you address any underlying pain or injuries that may be impacting your ability to start or fulfill your wellness resolution. We can help you address injuries, pain, or conditions that may impact those fitness and wellness aspirations and new year’s resolutions.

Our expertise can also provide you with the exercises most appropriate to alleviating pain, improving function, restoring mobility, minimizing the risk of injury, and give you tools to help you achieve your goals. Collaborating with a licensed physical therapist can give you the confidence needed to follow your fitness and wellness plan with your unique needs and goals in mind. With our support, you can build your confidence in your ability to overcome challenges and stay motivated.

Limit The Number of Goals

When restarting your new year’s resolutions, we recommend that you limit the number of goals you set. You can increase the chances of achieving them when you are focused on a few defined goals, rather than become overwhelmed by several of them. Pursuing fewer goals can also be beneficial as you work to keep track of your progress and maintain a consistent level of motivation.

Address Obstacles

When pursuing your fitness goals, it is inevitable that obstacles will come. It is important to be mindful of and address the obstacles that may impact your momentum when pursuing your goals, especially those new years resolutions. There are many common barriers that may arise, such as a lack of motivation, disappointment in a lack of progress, or an injury. Thankfully, there are ways to overcome these challenges and minimize derailing your progress any further. When looking for motivation, it is helpful to find activities that you genuinely enjoy and align with your personal interests. When dealing with injuries or pain, it may be hard to work up the motivation to stick to your new year’s resolution or wellness plan, which is why it’s important to stay tuned to the needs of your body.

If something is causing discomfort, pain, or you find that you don’t have the proper function or mobility needed to stick to your wellness goals, consulting with a physical therapist can help you address underlying concerns and help you meet your goals. Another benefit to working with a physical therapist to address and overcome obstacles is to be proactive and address potential obstacles before they turn into real obstacles. One of those potential future obstacles are future injuries. Physical therapists can help you work to reduce the likelihood of future injuries as well by working to address muscular imbalances or other relevant risk factors. Addressing obstacles head on will allow you to overcome these challenges and meet your fitness aspirations and ensure you stick to your new year’s resolution.

Identify and Address Limitations in the Past

Before re-tackling your new year’s resolutions, it is important to identify what and where you may have gone wrong previously. Reflecting on your past goals and identifying the barriers faced can provide you with the information needed to approach them properly and achieve your objective this time around. Practicing this level of self-awareness can make it easier to tackle goals in the future and experience better outcomes.

Track Your Progress and Take Accountability

One of the best ways to continually work towards a healthier lifestyle and get back to sticking to your new year’s resolution is to track your progress, take accountability, and find ways to help you stay accountable – like utilizing a friend. Having someone to hold you accountable can increase your chances of meeting your fitness goals. Find a friend that you feel comfortable sharing your wellness goals with so you can provide them with updates on your progress. You can also track your progress on your phone or a journal to hold yourself accountable.

Some applications on your phone or helpful websites can also give you reminders and notifications about your progress and provide encouragement along the way. Documenting your workouts and milestones allows you to reflect on your progress and can provide visibility on where to improve and when to celebrate certain accomplishments. Surround yourself with people who can also motivate you to meet your fitness and wellness goals. 

Taking accountability for your health journey allows you to take ownership of your goals and overcome the challenges that come with staying committed to your new year’s resolution.

Find Ways to Make Your Wellness Resolution Fun

Prioritizing your wellness can, in fact, be enjoyable. We recommend that you seek activities that bring you joy and implement those into your daily activities. Activities like dancing, Pilates. or pickleball are examples of fun ways to enhance your wellness. Participating in group challenges with your family or friends can be a fun and, competitive way to diversify your wellness as well. Whether it is a cooking class, pickleball, or hiking, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be sustainable when you are prioritizing your enjoyment in tandem with your overall health.

Improve Your Wellness with Physical Therapy

Your fitness and healthy lifestyle goals are still attainable, regardless of the time of year as you consider restarting that new years resolution to get healthier. You can also start them at any time, not just for a new year’s resolution. To stick to them this time around, it will require reflection, planning, perseverance, and support. Implementing strategies such as setting SMART goals, creating a personalized plan, addressing obstacles, accepting accountability, and making the activities fun can help you increase the likelihood for success. While setbacks may be inevitable, the right mindset and support can help you overcome them and get right back in the saddle. There is no better time than the present to start back pursuing your wellness goals, whether this is the first time, or you are looking to recommit.

Kick off your journey with us and allow us to help you succeed within your fitness and health goals by helping you address your aches, pains, and injuries. Are you ready to reboot your fitness goals and work towards a healthier lifestyle by addressing your injuries, aches, and pains? We’re here to support you on your wellness journey. We are equipped with the expertise, tools, and resources available to support you as you restart your fitness and wellness goals. Schedule an appointment with us today and allow us to guide you along your journey at a physical therapy clinic near you.

1. “S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Weight Loss and Fitness.” WebMD, 17 Nov. 2022, www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/smart-weight-loss-fitness-device. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
2. “SMART Goals.” Academic Success Center, 12 July 2019, success.oregonstate.edu/learning/smart-goals#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20SMART%20goals%20are. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
3. “Intrinsic Motivation: Unleashing Inner Drive and Passion.” Www.graygroupintl.com, www.graygroupintl.com/blog/intrinsic-motivation#:~:text=This%20alignment%20of%20activities%20with. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
4. Lande, Samantha. “How an Accountability Partner Can Help You Hit Fitness Goals—Even If You Prefer Exercising Alone.” The Output, 28 Dec. 2023, www.onepeloton.com/blog/fitness-accountability-partner/.