How to stick to your new year's resolution in 2026

As the year is coming to an end, I’m pretty sure most of us are beginning to think about what new year’s resolution we are going to set. And with that, comes reflecting on the resolutions we’ve set for 2025. How many of us actually managed to achieve the resolutions set? 

We most likely weren’t able to achieve all, if any, of the resolutions set and with that comes feelings of failure. Is it truly your fault or were you just reaching for something unattainable with your resources? Stress not, here are some recommendations to help you with your 2026 resolutions!

1. Reframe your resolutions

The most common pitfall when it comes to new year’s resolutions would be setting an unrealistic and unattainable goal. Hence why you should consider adopting a SMART goals approach when crafting your resolutions. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. This acronym will help ensure the goal isn’t outlandish. For example, rather than setting a new year’s resolution to get abs, restructure it into something along the lines of going to the gym thrice a week for minimally an hour for the rest of the year. With the resolution being broken down further, you’re not as likely to feel overwhelmed or intimidated by the challenge you have set for yourself.

2. Let your body recover

With over 60% of the people in Singapore having a fitness related new year’s resolution in 2025 as stated by YouGov, it is safe to say that fitness related new year’s resolutions are going to make a comeback in 2026.

When we think of a fitness new year’s resolution, looking better physically is no doubt what most people are aiming for. The first few things that will pop into your minds are definitely working out and having a better diet. However, one important aspect is neglected. Recovery. Recovery is debatably as important as working out. While exercising, microscopic tears appear on our muscles. During rest and recovery, these tears heal, coming back stronger and thicker which is how we gain muscle.

Not only that, how many of us are guilty of skipping on our gym sessions because of the much dreaded sores that we are forced to deal with the next day? I know I am. That is another reason why recovery is important. That annoying soreness is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS for short. And the solution is fairly simple. A Therabody Theragun.

A massage gun like the Therabody Theragun Prime 6th Generation, delivers a 16mm deep percussive massage which boosts blood circulation, providing more oxygen and nutrients to your damaged muscles, speeding up the recovery process. Not only that, the deep tissue massage you’ll be getting from this hand held device helps with the release of lactic acid which further boosts recovery. 

I'm not gonna lie, the idea of recovery can sound overwhelming. Its tough trying to figure out what our bodies are truly asking from us without guidance. That's where Coach by Therabody comes in. 

Coach by Therabody uses data from various fitness apps such as Garmin Connect, Apply Health and Google Fit, to understand the type of recovery you'd need for the day based on your activity. With that, Coach by Therabody creates personalised recovery plans designed by sports scientists and performance professionals and recommends these sessions at specific times so you'd get the most effective recovery plan.

All you'd have to do is start the routine and the app would tell you what settings and attachment you'd need to achieve the best possible result. No guesswork needed! You're even able to control the settings of your Therabody Theragun from your app if you feel as if you need more strength or heat! The fun doesn't stop there! Your offline recovery sessions can also be tracked, making sure you're getting full credit. Best part? All of this is free!

3. Don't see setbacks as failure

Taking on a new challenge is never easy. If it is, you aren’t pushing yourself. We’ve all been guilty of slipping up. Be it straying away from the diet that you’ve been religiously following for the past few weeks or skipping a gym day merely because you weren’t feeling up to it. It's normal to feel a sense of failure when you aren't able to keep up with the routine you were insistent on following or straying off a little from the path you want to be on.

It is essential to not see this as a failure, rather a mere setback. Straying away once or twice doesn’t mean you’ve failed at your resolution. It is essential you pick yourself back up and get back on the right track rather than just giving up. 

4. Listen to what your body is telling you

We’ve all been guilty of pushing ourselves a little bit too much. It’s easy to ignore what your body is telling us when we are so focused on the hustle. In 2026, let it be the year we listen to what our bodies need to become the best version of ourselves.

The Oura Ring 4 will no doubt help you understand more about your body and its needs. The Oura Ring 4 tracks over 50 health and wellness metrics. Just one ring with so much data. It can sound overwhelming but fret not, the Oura Ring 4 analyses the data for you so you won't be tangled in a web of data trying to figure out what it all means. 

One of the more notable features of the Oura Ring 4 would be its Readiness score. The Readiness score tells you how prepared you are to take on the day based on data such as your resting heart rate and sleep quality the night before. This score acts as a great indicator of what your body would be able to take on during the day, allowing you to make tweaks in your plans to accommodate your body's needs. This could range from cancelling your drinking plans when your score is low to going on that long procrastinated hike when your score is high. But most importantly, it acts as a reminder to be kind to your body. 

New year’s resolutions can be intimidating. But with smaller more achievable goals alongside tech that helps elevate your lives, achieving new year’s resolutions won’t seem as outlandish anymore. 

Author-Nat