Health Goals: The Key to Your New Year Success

By Sylvester Ojenagbon

The clock strikes midnight, the calendar flips, and just like that, we get that instinctive urge to start over. Every new year is the world’s shared moment for a clean slate, that yearly, collective deep breath that says, “This time, I will be better,” or “I will do better.” We fill this symbolic space with resolutions in the areas of careers, finances, and personal growth, all tied together by the hopeful thread of a new beginning.

You will agree that this familiar tradition works because it is tied to a specific date, creating an anchor and a clear deadline. It helps us move from some vague hopes to concrete plans and offers us a chance to reflect on the past and boldly write the next chapter.

Ironically, as we draft these ambitious plans, one crucial element is often sidelined or treated as an afterthought: our health. We might scribble “go to the gym” or “eat better”, but these lack the strategic detail we pour into a savings plan or a career move. We excel at planning for external success but surprisingly fall short in the internal structure that makes it possible.

The truth is that integrating robust health goals into our general new year goals is not about vanity or fitting into an old outfit; it is an essential act of self-preservation. A strong, energetic body and a clear, resilient mind are the engine that will power every other goal you set. Without this vital foundation, your best-laid plans for professional success or enriching relationships will unfortunately be compromised by general unwellness, fatigue, or stress.

Prioritising your physical and mental well-being builds a stronger, wider connection to the future you want and ensures you have the stamina and mental fortitude not just to achieve your goals, but to truly thrive once you do so. And this is not just about living longer; it is about fundamentally living better and making the most of every day.

Now, the gap between a fleeting aspiration and a lasting achievement lies in your methodology. Forget the drastic, unsustainable statements that sound good on New Year’s Eve but vanish by mid-January—statements like “I will lose four kilogrammes in the first weeks of January” or “I will run a marathon next month”—without ever having jogged.

What this all comes to is that, in the new year, you have to be strategically clever by using the universally recognised framework that transforms wishful thinking into a manageable action plan. Your goal must be specific; replace the vague “get fit” with something precise, such as, “I will walk briskly for thirty minutes, three lunchtimes a week.” It must be measurable; that walking goal is easily tracked on a watch or phone, unlike the nebulous “feel better”. It needs to be achievable, meaning it must be realistic for your current life and fitness level, not an intimidating copy of an Olympian’s regimen.

The goal must be relevant; it must connect to your bigger “why”—perhaps it is having the energy to play with your children or manage professional stress effectively. And finally, it must be time-bound, giving you a focused timeline. It can be something like, “I will achieve this specific walking goal for the next two months,” before reviewing the target. By breaking monumental, year-long tasks into these smaller, digestible short-term goals, you create stepping stones that consistently build confidence and cement a pattern of success.

The real challenge—the one that leaves gyms empty and quiet by March—is in practical, day-to-day execution. You need to move beyond relying solely on raw willpower and instead focus on engineering your environment and routine for inevitable, achievable success. And one way to do this is through habit stacking, where you link a new habit to an old, established one. If you want to drink more water, resolve to fill your large water bottle immediately after you finish your morning cup of tea or even before you go to bed the night before. The established habit becomes the automatic cue for the new one.

You also need to focus on friction reduction, making your desired habit as simple as possible to start. If you plan to run first thing in the morning, lay your running kit out the night before, perhaps even putting your shoes next to the bed. If you want to prepare healthier lunches, designate Sunday evening as your mandatory meal-prep time. This simple act reduces the mental effort needed to make the right choice when you are tired or rushed.

Crucially, cultivate an accountability network. Share your specific, measurable goals with a trusted colleague, friend, or partner, or join a local group, which may be a walking club or a cookery class that is focused on healthy eating. Knowing that someone is expecting you or simply asking about your progress can be a powerful external nudge that keeps you on track when internal motivation starts waning.

Also, be prepared for setbacks; they are not a sign of fundamental failure. They are a normal, expected part of the change process. If you miss a workout or enjoy an indulgent meal, simply forgive yourself immediately, reflect on the cause without self-blame, and recommit at your very next opportunity. Your true success is measured not by how perfectly you execute your plan, but by how quickly and resiliently you get back on track after a minor stumble.

Above all, make a decision to check with your doctor or a health professional from time to time to know how well you are doing health-wise. That is one goal that must have a prominent place in your list of priorities.

As the curtain rises on the new year, see this opportunity not as a burden of impossible, guilt-ridden resolutions, but as a genuine gift—a chance to recentre and reclaim robust ownership of your most precious asset: your health. Let your resolve be different in the new year. Let it be rooted in a strategic methodology, fuelled by realistic, incremental steps, and supported by an environment designed for human nature and consistency, not unattainable perfection.

Do not wait for a serious diagnosis or another New Year to make the fundamental, life-affirming changes you know you need to make. This is your year to stop planning for a vibrant life you might live and start building the powerful health foundation that guarantees you will be strong enough, energetic enough, and mentally present enough to live the fulfilling life you truly dream of.

The time for vague resolutions about your health is over. The time for decisive, intentional action is now.

Now, what small, specific, and measurable step will you commit to taking today to honour the healthy future you absolutely deserve?

Ojenagbon, a health communication expert and certified management trainer and consultant, lives in Lagos.

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