A psychologist's hack for actually keeping your New Year's resolutions

In 2026, Americans say they plan to prioritize exercise: 44% say they’re making a New Year’s resolution around physical fitness, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Healthy Minds Poll.

And while resolutions can be a helpful way to motivate yourself this time of year, New York-based psychologist Sabrina Romanoff says we should shift how we make them.

“It’s not about saying ‘I’m going to lose 30 pounds,’” she says.

Here’s how she recommends approaching them instead.

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, specific benchmarks can be hard to follow.