WASHINGTON (7News) — No matter your goals for 2026, psychologists came up with several tips to help you stay consistent and accomplish your New Year’s resolutions.
“Creating a new habit takes sort of daily energy and willpower, and you’re not going to do that without choosing something that you’ve sort of fully acknowledged is really important for you to choose, and why it’s important,” clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Gail Saltz, MD, said.
Saltz said that one reason people give up going to the gym is because people have not sat down to strategically map what needs to be changed and why.
“The big why is really important,” said Saltz. “Why do you do the thing that you want to stop?”
Saltz recommends writing down your goals, journaling and re-reading them, or even talking with a therapist.
Making your goals “bite-sized” can help achieve resolutions easily, said board-certified addiction psychiatrist and CEO of Mindful Care, Dr. Tamir Aldad, MD, MBA.
“It needs to be very, very small, almost where the behavior or adoption of the resolution and the goal is almost too easy,” said Aldad. “It isn’t just lose 50 pounds. It could be losing three pounds. It isn’t ‘Go to the gym and gain 10 pounds of muscle.’ It is a workout once a week.”
“You’re likely to quit if you feel like you failed, said Saltz. “If it’s sort of nebulous, and all this huge goal, then you can quickly feel failed.”
“The old carrot on the stick is really important, so make up some positive reinforcements for meeting a certain goal,” said Saltz. She said that a little reward will motivate you to repeat that behavior.
“The satisfaction of the resolution comes from the dopamine hits, and you want that satisfaction to reinforce the positive behavior you’re trying to turn into a lifestyle and a long-term habit,” said Aldad.
Aldad said linking your goal with a behavior you already do can help you stay consistent.
“After brushing my teeth, I will do 10 jumping jacks. Or after I have my coffee in the morning, I’m going to journal for five minutes,” explained Aldad.
“Track the behavior and not the results. The brain releases dopamine for completing the task, but not the outcome,” said Aldad.
If you do not feel motivated to continue your resolution, or if you stop, Saltz said to manage your perception of failure.
“Stopping is not a failure; it’s a bump in the road. You will restart, and you will provide yourself a positive reinforcement for restarting,” said Saltz.
Aldad said you can make a deal with yourself for the minimum resolution you can do in a day to keep going or restart.
“On a day you want to give up, what is the minimum viable action you’re comfortable doing not to lose momentum?” asked Aldad. “If it is going for a half-hour walk every day, but today’s not the day, you know that your minimum is 10 minutes.”
“The joke is that the first couple of weeks every gym is really busy and then it empties out Do you have a home workout that you can do if you’re about to give up on this gym thing? Is there a 15-minute home workout routine you could adopt? And for many people, it’s enough to reset them and carry them to the next day,” said Aldad.
“Public declaration of goals increases accountability, and research shows increases the chance of success,” said Aldad. Just by posting on social media, people are more likely to finish their goals, said Aldad.
For example, Aldad said that he wants to climb the ranks in jiu-jitsu in 2026.
“The fact that I just told you that I want to climb the ranks in jiu-jitsu, I’ve just increased the chances of it actually happening significantly,” said Aldad.
But, you do not have to have a gym buddy equivalent to reach your goals because that plan may backfire, said Saltz.
“That person goes, ‘I’m tired this week, I’m not going,’ and then that can pull you down. That could be negative reinforcement for you,” Saltz warned about having someone to do your goals with you.
“It’s really easy to cheat on yourself as opposed to someone else,” said Saltz. She recommends telling someone else because “It just provides a measure of accountability, even if it’s just imagining that this person will be sort of like disappointed if you don’t do what you said you were going to do.”
Saltz said that the pressure to start on New Year’s Day does not have to push you.
“This is a fine time to do a resolution, but you don’t have to stay married to the first of the year… any day, any month, is a good time to do something that feels life-improving,” said Saltz.
If you want to stay accountable, you can visit 7News’ Chime In and send us photos of your resolutions for a chance to see them on TV!
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Professor of psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Gail Saltz, MD, explains how to keep your resolutions (7News).{ }
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