By Ryan Unverzagt

2025 has come and gone. Take a moment to reflect back on this past year. Did you accomplish the things that you said you wanted to do? Did you actually stick to those New Year’s resolutions you had made for yourself? More than likely, the answer is probably not. Why? It might be because you set unrealistic goals, especially when the focus is on exercise.

It’s time to start putting those New Year’s fitness resolutions to work again. If you were lucky enough to receive a “fitness gift” as I recommended in my last article, now is the perfect time to put it to good use. Did you know fifty percent of people who decide to start exercising will drop out within the first six months? Why does this happen? Because it does take a little effort and worth-while time to develop a habit. I have a few ideas that can set you up for success this year.

Losing weight and getting in shape is at the top of the New Year’s resolution list. The first step in successful goal setting is to write it down. This seems too obvious, but post your goals where you can see them every day: on the fridge, front door, bathroom mirror, framed on your work desk, or even set them as a screen-saver on the computer. The more often you see your goals, the better your chances of taking action.

The second step of goal-setting is to be specific. “Lose weight” is a good goal, but how much? A conservative approach is to figure losing one pound a week. Too many times, we get caught up on the end result and forget that we can control what we do to get there. The little things we do along the way are referred to as process goals. The end result is called the outcome goal. My point here is that we have greater control over process goals than we do on outcome goals. Focus on smaller achievements such as going to the health club twice a week, eating a healthy breakfast in the morning, or working on correct exercise technique. This will help build your confidence levels. More times than not, the outcome goal will take care of itself.

The third step of goal-setting is to create a time-frame. There needs to be a sense of urgency for anything to happen. Try to gather some social support from family, friends, and co-workers. They need to know what your goals are so they can help you stay on track.

The final step of successful goal-setting is to identify why your goal(s) are important to you. If your goals have no meaning, what’s the point of working hard to achieve them? To attach meaning to your goal, ask yourself, “How will this make me feel?” This is the ultimate way to keep motivated.

Use the SMART Principle to set Goals: (Specific- Measurable- Attainable- Realistic- Time oriented) When setting your goals, be sure to consider all five of these principles, especially the time oriented one. If you don’t nail down a time frame, you are not holding yourself accountable and that’s when your exercise routine begins to fade away.

Keep an Exercise Journal: Writing down every workout may seem like a lot of work, but it will pay off in the long run. This provides a visual so you can actually look back at all the hard work you put in and bring you a sense of pride and accomplishment. Your journal should include specific things such as your goals, the time and date of the workout, list of exercises or lifts, amount of weight used, sets, repetitions, duration and intensity of your workouts, as well as how you felt that day. Another great asset of keeping an exercise journal is that you can track your progress (or lack of progress) to help you stay on track of your goals. You may discover that a change is warranted if you are not progressing toward your goal and that’s ok.

Expect Bumps in the Road: Nobody is perfect. Don’t get down on yourself just because you missed a few workouts. Whether it’s due to sickness, injury, or laziness, there will be bumps in the road. I can guarantee that these things will plague you once in a while. There will be days that you will not want to work out, but my next suggestion can alleviate this problem.

Exercise with a Friend: This is the easiest way to stay on track. If you know that your buddy is waiting for you at the gym, the more likely it is that you will actually show up. You can hold each other accountable by motivating and inspiring one another through every workout.

No Excuses: Identify any possible barriers and find solutions to break through them. Pack workout clothes the night before so you don’t forget to take them with you to work in the morning. The most common excuse I hear is, “I’m too busy to workout.” Everyone has 24 hours in a day, so it’s a matter of organizing and prioritizing your schedule.

Exercise in the Morning: I prefer morning workouts because it eliminates the, “I’m too tired after work” excuse. Exercising early can help wake you up, sharpen your mind, and prepare you for the day. You will also have peace of mind knowing that you won’t need to workout after work. Another common excuse is, “I’m not a morning person.” The solution to this barrier is simple. Go to bed earlier!

Try Personal Training: Personal trainers can help you set realistic goals, hold you accountable, provide safe and effective workouts, and keep you motivated through those bumps in the road. They can help you identify barriers and provide solutions to transform you into that regular exerciser you always dreamed you would be!

After reading this article, hopefully you can finally stick to those resolutions for the New Year. Remember to write them down to read every day, be specific, create a time-frame, and identify why they are important to you. These are just a few things to consider while establishing your New Year’s resolutions.

About the Author: Unverzagt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University. He is a certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography.