Picture this: It’s January 1st, your goals are set, your calendar is color-coded, your gym bag is packed, and your motivation is high. Fast-forward three weeks, your schedule explodes, or your kid gets sick, and that same gym bag is in the corner of the room. Sound familiar? This isn’t a personal failure. It’s a flaw in how we’ve been taught to approach behavior change. If your goals include moving more, eating better, or feeling more grounded in your relationships (including the one you have with yourself), the issue usually isn’t a lack of discipline or willpower. As a Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach and adjunct instructor with UCSD Extension’s Health & Wellness Coach Training Program, I teach future health & wellness coaches how behavior change actually works in real life, not just on paper. Some people thrive with structure and clear targets; others need flexibility that adapts to unpredictable schedules, stress, and competing demands. Sustainable change begins when the strategy aligns with the individual. Whether your New Year’s goals are set or you are still considering them, here are some behavior-change tips to help cement your goals in 2026.

Do you live by a schedule? Choose Identity-Based Mantras & SMART Goals

Can you say yes to any of these statements?

• You have predictable habits already in place 
• Your days run on a schedule 
• You consider yourself disciplined or organized
• You have people in your life to manage meetings, transport children, cook, organize events, etc.

If you checked any of the above, consider choosing one or two priorities for the year. You may respond well to identity-based goals or classic SMART goals to support your priorities. An identity mantra is something like, “I’m a person who protects my sleep or I’m a person who doesn’t eat bread.” The SMART goals provide structure as they turn vague intentions into clear, measurable steps, offering a defined target. For anyone who thrives with self-accountability, consider creating Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timebound (SMART) Goals for yourself or with a trained Health Coach to make follow-through far more likely.

Is every day different? Choose the Joy Choice

Can you say yes to any of these statements?

• Your habits are unpredictable
• Your days look different each day
• Discipline and organization feel difficult on certain days
• You are the person who manages meetings, transports children, cooks, organizes events, etc.

If you answer yes to many of the statements above, SMART goals may be too strict. This is where newer behavior-change research offers relief. Instead of swinging for the fences (perfection, all-or-nothing stance), approaches like Michelle Segar’s “Joy Choice” focus on pausing, choosing realistic options, and selecting the next most supportive step without shame. Consider choosing one or two priorities for the year. If exercise is at the top, the joy choice might mean a full workout, a walk around the block, or doing pushups on the bench while your kids play at the park. If eating healthy is a priority, a nourishing plate that is loaded with half veggies, quarter protein, and a quarter carbohydrate that feels satisfying rather than restrictive may be the order of the day. New Year’s Goals are sustained when they are flexible, personalized, and offer support. When goals feel aligned, human, and even enjoyable, they stop feeling like resolutions and start becoming part of daily life. 

If you are interested in helping yourself and others with lifestyle behavior change, consider enrolling in the UCSD Extended Studies coach training program.

Download the Free New Goal-Setting Guide to coach yourself and ask the right questions in the New Year.  

If health is one of your goals for 2026, consider using your HSA/FSA to book the Tier 1 Catalyst Health Coaching Program to spark your year of health.