Dec 29, 2025

Make your Resolutions a Reality

New year, new you! Do you have health & wellness goals for the New Year? It's the time of year where there's lots of advice about what you should do to have a healthier year without a lot of insight on how you can make it happen. New Year's resolutions are easy to set, but not always easy to achieve. We break down the process of creating a health & wellness plan, vision, and how to set SMART goals to support your journey. With some thoughtful planning and commitment your resolutions can become a reality!

What you'll need for goal setting:

Decide where you want to create your plan. You may want to use a journal, pen and paper, or your favorite notes app on your phone. A journal or planner devoted to your health & wellness journey can be supportive in providing you sustained motivation, accountability and a place to acknowledge setbacks and celebrate successes as the year unfolds. Take some time to think about your 2026 health & wellness goals, create a plan & vision, set SMART goals, and plan ahead for challenges that may arise, and most importantly - don't give up!

Step 1: Create a health & wellness plan

Your plan should include:

The goal you want to achieve
Why you want to achieve your goal
What challenges you may face along the way
How you plan to work through the challenges

Step 2: Create a health & wellness vision

Visualize your goals. Think about a what a healthy future may look like to you. Simplify those thoughts into a short, clear statement: your health & wellness vision. There are many ways to write a health & wellness vision statement. One popular format is: "I want to ______, so ________."

Examples of a health & wellness vision may be:

"I want to be physically fit, so I am no longer out of breath playing with my grandkids."
"I want to get more sleep, so I have more energy and focus to meet my business goals."
"I want to meditate daily, so I can feel more present and balanced in my day-to-day activities with my loved ones."

Step 3: Set SMART Goals

Goals help keep you focused on your health plan and vision. Achieving identified goals gives you a feeling of accomplishment and much-needed motivation to fuel your health journey. Establishing your long term goal, and gradually working towards it with intermediary, short-term goals can be a more sustainable path to making lasting lifestyle changes.

Using the acronym SMART, set your goals by:

Specific— What am I going to do? Create a specific plan before you embark on your health plan & vision. Clearly define what you want to accomplish, who is involved, where it will happen, and why it's important.
Measurable— How will I track my progress? You may say, "I want to get more sleep." But it would be better if you said, "I want to get 8 hours of sleep at least 4 nights a week."
Achievable— What steps will I take to make this happen? Ensure the goal is realistic and within your capabilities, or that you can acquire the necessary skills. While reflecting on your current capabilities, skills, and resources, you may find that you may need to set a smaller, more attainable goal. Setting a realistic goal will help you be more successful.
Relevant— Is this important enough to me to want to do it? Think positively. Behavior only changes from the positive. Remember there are resources to help you accomplish your goal; such as programs, classes, healthcare professionals, accountability buddies, and more!
Time-framed — When will I do this? Set a specific target date. There is no rule saying you have to start your health & wellness journey on January 1st. It is better to pick a date when you have a plan in place.

Your SMART goals should included of long-term goals and short-term goals. Establish your long-term goal first. An example of a long-term goal is: "I will walk briskly for 30 minutes each day at least five days a week." To work up to this long term goal, setting an intermediary, short-term goal can make your long term goal more attainable. For example: "I will walk 15 minutes after dinner at least three days each week for the next month."

After reaching your short-term goal, extend your efforts gradually, until you ultimately accomplish your long-term goal.

Step 4: Accept challenges, and don’t give up

It's common for challenges to arise during a health & wellness journey. Busy family life, work, school, medical issues or peer pressure can veer us back to habits we are trying to change, which is why it's so important to identify potential challenges and envision strategies to address them as you build your health & wellness plan.

Can you establish a support system for yourself? Maybe a family member or close friend can encourage, and perhaps even partner with you in trying to achieve a health & wellness goal. Keeping a health & wellness journal to record your activities, challenges, and achievements can add to your motivation and accountability.

Depending on your goals, there may be support groups, classes or healthcare professionals who can also support you in your journey. Message your Inspired Health Group care team in your patient portal if you could use some help reaching your 2026 health & wellness goals. We're always here to help, and can connect you to services within our practice and in our region that can help you thrive!