Right, let’s talk about New Year’s resolutions. Every January, gyms are rammed, everyone’s eating salad, and we all reckon this is definitely the year we sort ourselves out. Then February rolls round and we’re back eating crisps on the sofa, feeling a bit guilty.
You’ve been there. We all have. Nearly a quarter of Brits say they’re going to get fit or exercise more in 2026. Another 17% want to lose weight. Want to know how many actually stick to it? About a third. The rest of us pack it in within a few weeks.
And it’s not because we’re useless or lazy. It’s because we set ridiculous goals. “Lose three stone” or “run a marathon” sounds great on 1st January when you’re full of optimism. Not so great in week two when you’re exhausted and it all feels impossible.
Make Your Goals Embarrassingly Small
The trick? Set goals so small they’re almost embarrassing to admit.
Don’t say “go to the gym five times a week.” Say “put my trainers on and walk round the block for 10 minutes, three times a week.” That’s it. No gym. No complicated workout. Just trainers, door, 10 minutes.
Why does this work? Because you can do it even when you feel terrible. Knackered after work? Still manage 10 minutes. Raining? Walk anyway. You’re not trying to become a fitness influencer. You’re just trying to do something regularly enough that it becomes normal.
Once you’ve done your 10 minute walks for a month without thinking about it, adding another five minutes is nothing. Before you know it, you’re doing half an hour and it doesn’t feel like effort. Meanwhile, the person who started going to the gym every single day burned out in week three and hasn’t been back since.
What Small Actually Looks Like
Some tiny resolutions that work:
Stick one vegetable on your plate at dinner. Not “eat clean.” Not “go vegetarian.” Just bung some broccoli next to whatever else you’re having.
Drink a glass of water first thing. Before coffee, before scrolling your phone, just neck a glass of water. Takes 30 seconds.
Go to bed 15 minutes earlier. Not some massive sleep routine. Just 15 minutes. Alarm for 10:45 instead of 11:00.
Take the stairs once a day. Pick one time. Getting to work, nipping to the shops, whatever. Just once.
These sound pathetic, don’t they? That’s why they work. You’re not reinventing yourself. You’re making one tiny change that doesn’t require motivation or drama.
Why Small Goals Actually Matter
Small goals work because they don’t require massive motivation or life changes. You can do them even when you’re knackered, stressed, or dealing with normal life chaos.
They also build momentum. Once you’ve successfully walked for 10 minutes three times a week for a month, adding another five minutes doesn’t feel like a big deal. Before you know it, you’re doing 30 minutes without really trying.
Compare that to someone who goes all in with an hour at the gym every day. They might manage it for two weeks, but then work gets busy, they miss a few days, feel guilty, and give up entirely. The person doing 10 minutes? They’re still going because it’s not a massive hassle.
The Bit About Getting Medical Help
One thing that helps: being able to talk to a doctor when you actually need one.
With the NHS, getting an appointment takes weeks. You start doing more walking, your knee feels a bit dodgy, you want to check it’s nothing serious, and the earliest slot is three weeks away. By then you’ve either given up on the walks or pushed through and made it worse.
Private GPs usually offer same day or next day appointments, a lot of them over video. Got a question about whether that exercise is safe for your dodgy back? Book it for tomorrow. Wondering if the diet changes you’re making are alright with your medication? Ask someone within 24 hours instead of waiting weeks.
It’s not about ditching the NHS. It’s about having quick access for those smaller questions that come up when you’re trying to change things. Most private health insurance includes digital GP access anyway, so you might already have it.
When You Mess Up (And You Will)
You’re going to skip days. You’ll eat rubbish for a week. You’ll stay up till midnight watching nonsense on Netflix. This is fine.
The difference between people who stick to things and people who don’t isn’t that the successful ones never slip up. It’s that they don’t use one bad day as an excuse to bin the whole thing.
Missed your walks for three days? So what. Go tomorrow. Ate nothing but beige food all week? Fine. Chuck that vegetable on your plate tonight. You’re not aiming for perfection. You’re just trying to do it more often than you don’t.
Make It Even Easier
Want to really increase your chances? Make your tiny goals even more automatic:
Put your trainers by the front door the night before. When you see them first thing, it’s harder to ignore that 10 minute walk.
Buy pre chopped vegetables. Yes, they’re more expensive. But if the choice is between spending an extra quid and actually eating the veg versus leaving it to rot in the fridge, spend the quid.
Set an alarm for bedtime. Sounds daft, but a reminder that it’s time to start winding down actually works.
Book that GP appointment for a general health check now, not when something’s wrong. Many private GPs offer health MOTs where they check everything’s ticking along nicely. It’s easier to maintain good health than fix problems later.
The Long Game
Here’s what nobody tells you about New Year’s resolutions: the point isn’t what you achieve by February. It’s what becomes normal by December.
That 10 minute walk three times a week? By summer, you might find you actually enjoy it and end up doing 20 minutes most days without really thinking about it. That one vegetable with dinner? Could turn into actually quite liking how you feel when you eat better.
Small goals aren’t exciting. They won’t impress anyone at a dinner party. “I walked for 10 minutes” doesn’t have the same ring as “I’m training for an Ironman.”
But you know what? By this time next year, whilst the Ironman wannabe is back on the sofa, you’ll still be walking. You’ll still be eating better. You’ll have actually changed your habits without the drama.
Start Stupidly Small
So here’s your challenge for 2026: pick one tiny health goal. Make it so small it feels almost embarrassing. Then just do that.
Not five goals. Not a complete lifestyle overhaul. One thing. Master that, then maybe add another in March.
The people who transform their health don’t do it with New Year’s Day drama. They do it by making changes so small they barely notice them, then keeping going until those changes are just what they do.
Your resolution for 2026 doesn’t need to be impressive. It just needs to be something you’ll actually still be doing in July. That’s the whole game.
