In 2026, Americans say they plan to prioritize exercise: 44% say they’re making a New Year’s resolution around physical fitness, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Healthy Minds Poll.
And while resolutions can be a helpful way to motivate yourself this time of year, New York-based psychologist Sabrina Romanoff says we should shift how we make them.
“It’s not about saying ‘I’m going to lose 30 pounds,'” she says.
Here’s how she recommends approaching them instead.
Focus on your values, not your specific goals
When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, specific benchmarks can be hard to follow.
Say you decide you’re going to the gym every day. As soon as you miss one day, it’s easy to feel like the entire resolution is ruined and throw in the towel.
In 2024, less than a month into the new year, 41% of Americans said they’d kept just some of their resolutions or none at all, according to the Pew Research Center.
Romanoff’s advice for sticking with it? “Make your goals more about your values,” she says.
Instead of saying you’re going to the gym every day, say you want to try to get exercise every day. “That could mean taking a walk,” she says. “That could mean stretching when it’s too cold.”
That kind of flexibility and big picture thinking makes it easier to follow through because it’s reflective of what you can actually achieve, Romanoff says. In the long run, it also gives you confidence, because you see yourself living your values consistently, she adds.
Want to get ahead at work with AI? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course, Beyond the Basics: How to Use AI to Supercharge Your Work. Learn advanced AI skills like building custom GPTs and using AI agents to boost your productivity today. Use coupon code EARLYBIRD for 25% off. Offer valid from Jan. 5 to Jan. 19, 2026. Terms apply.
