How to make your 2026 resolutions stick

We tend to start each New Year with good intentions, setting goals for ourselves, like losing weight or saving more money. But experts say weeks later, many give up and fall back into unhealthy habits.

It’s a New Year. Maybe it’s another resolution, or maybe it’s the same goal you tried but couldn’t achieve in years past.

“Where we fail is that we don’t have a system,” said Kenny Tello, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Orlando Health. “How are we going to get to those goals?”

Tello says the first step to making resolutions stick is to have a plan, map out each step, and the resources needed to accomplish your goals.

He says not to rely solely on motivation.

“Motivation helps us begin, but then motivation actually fades,” said Tello. Instead, develop discipline by starting small. If your goal is to exercise more, start by going on a 20-minute walk after lunch or dinner. Maybe aim for two or three times a week, and add more as you get stronger.

“Just making it sustainable, making it easy, making it attractive for you as well.”

Tello also says to have a support system - friends and family who can get involved and encourage you. And finally, Tello says, attach your resolution to a higher purpose or a more profound sense of meaning.

“I’m a father, and I want to be here for my daughter, so therefore I want to be healthy.”

Tello says it’s also important to remember that if you slip one day, that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your resolution altogether. Instead, he says to recognize that you slipped and get back on track, rewarding yourself for small wins each day.

By Mandy Gaither, The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The Gayly online 12/31/25 @ 11:15 p.m. CST.