Premier Cardiovascular Health and Performance Podcast

#41: How to Actually Succeed With Health-Focused New Year’s Resolutions

Episode Summary

Every January, motivation is high—and by February, most health resolutions are gone. In this solo episode, we break down why New Year’s resolutions fail and how to build health habits that actually last. This isn’t about extremes or willpower. It’s about realistic goals, consistency, accountability, and training with purpose.

Episode Notes

If you’ve ever failed a New Year’s health resolution, this episode is for you.

The problem isn’t discipline—it’s strategy.

In this episode, we walk through why dramatic overhauls almost always fail and how to design health goals that fit real life. You’ll learn how to set specific and realistic goals, why enjoyment matters more than intensity, and how accountability and training for a specific event can dramatically improve follow-through.

Health success isn’t built in January—it’s built in the quiet, consistent days that follow.

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What Listeners Will Learn

• Why most New Year’s resolutions fail
• How to set health goals that are specific and realistic
• Why dramatic lifestyle overhauls usually backfire
• How small, consistent changes outperform extreme efforts
• Why doing workouts you hate guarantees burnout
• Why training for an event with a specific date changes everything
• How to focus on sustainability instead of perfection

Key Takeaway

Health success is not about perfection—it’s about consistency over time.

Resources & Evidence Mentioned

Goal-Setting & Motivation
Locke EA, Latham GP. Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation.
American Psychologist. 2002;57(9):705-717.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705

Habit Formation & Behavior Change
Gardner B, Lally P, Wardle J. Making Health Habitual: The Psychology of Habit Formation.
British Journal of General Practice. 2012;62(605):664-666.
https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp12X659466

Exercise Adherence
Dishman RK. Exercise Compliance: A New View for Public Health.
The Physician and Sportsmedicine. 1986;14(5):127-145.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.1986.11709075

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