January has a certain chaotic sparkle to it. One minute you’re eating leftover chocolate “because it would be wasteful,” the next you’re being psychologically body-slammed by a thousand messages telling you to reinvent yourself by the time the clock strikes 12.

Let’s do something wildly rebellious instead: ease into the new year—with goals that actually work, a plan your nervous system can tolerate, and a gym approach that doesn’t end with you booking an appointment at the clinic because you tried to deadlift like it’s 2016.

Why New Year’s resolutions aren’t doomed (they’re just often badly designed)

The reason New Year goals feel compelling isn’t just cultural hype—it’s also psychology. Research on the “fresh start effect” shows that temporal landmarks (new years, birthdays, Mondays, even the start of a month) can make people feel mentally separated from their “old self,” which boosts motivation to start aspirational behaviours.

And New Year’s resolutions can absolutely stick. In a large study that followed people for a year, over half of participants reported being successful—especially those who set approach-oriented goals (e.g., “eat more vegetables”) rather than avoidance goals (e.g., “stop eating junk”).

So the problem isn’t resolutions. The problem is when we treat January like a personality upgrade you can install overnight.

The two types of goals you need: “north star” goals and “shoelace” goals

Think of goals in two layers:

1) Abstract goals (the “north star”)
These are values-based and identity-flavoured. Examples:

• “I want to feel strong in my body.”
• “I want mornings that feel calmer.”
• “I want to take care of future-me.”

Abstract goals matter because they give meaning. They connect to autonomous motivation (doing something because it matters to you), which is linked to better health-behaviour outcomes in self-determination theory research.

2) Concrete goals (the “shoelaces”)
These are the practical actions that stop you from tripping.

This is where SMART goals come in.

SMART goals: useful… with one important caveat

SMART goals are popular because they force clarity: what exactly are you doing, and how will you know it happened? In health contexts, SMART-style goals are often used to help people create specific success criteria and track progress.

But: the SMART acronym itself isn’t a magic scientific formula, and in physical-activity settings it’s been critiqued for being overused or applied inconsistently. It can help some people, but it isn’t automatically superior in every scenario.

So here’s the sweet spot:

Use abstract goals for direction, SMART-ish goals for traction.
(Your dreams are allowed to be poetic. Your calendar is allowed to be specific.)

Example

• North star: “I want to feel better in my body this winter.”
• SMART-ish shoelace: “On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I’ll do 20 minutes of strength training at home at 17:30 for the next 4 weeks.”

That last part—when and where—is sneakily powerful.

The science-y cheat code: “If–Then” planning

One of the most reliable goal tools in behavioural research is implementation intentions—simple “if–then” plans that pre-decide your response to a situation.

• “If it’s dark and I don’t feel like going out, then I’ll do a 10-minute mobility routine in my living room.”
• “If I miss a workout, then I’ll do a shorter session tomorrow—no punishment spiral.”

A meta-analysis found implementation intentions can help increase physical activity (effects vary, but the overall pattern supports them as a useful tool—especially when barriers are addressed).

January reality check: we’re in the dark-and-quiet season for a reason

If you’re in the northern hemisphere, January is basically a collective experiment in low light, cold air, and “why is it dark at 15:00?” Light exposure affects circadian rhythms (your body clock), sleep, and mood—and timing matters (morning light tends to be especially helpful; bright light at night can push things the wrong way).

That doesn’t mean “hibernate and abandon goals.” It means: choose goals that respect winter biology.

Gentle, winter-friendly goals can look like:

• strength and mobility over punishing cardio
• consistency over intensity
• daylight walks when possible (even short ones)
• sleep routine upgrades
• “more warmth, fewer heroic acts”

The gym in January: a loving roast (with injury prevention)

January gyms are full of hope, new shoes, and people attempting to negotiate with gravity. I support this. I also support your joints.

A common route to injury is doing too much too soon—a sudden spike in training load your body hasn’t adapted to. Research on training load and injury risk discusses how rapid increases are associated with higher injury risk, and highlights the value of sensible progression.

A practical January approach:

• Start with 2–3 sessions/week
• Keep intensity moderate for 2–3 weeks
• Add load or volume gradually
• Prioritize technique, sleep, and recovery like they’re part of the workout (because they are)

Your goal is not “win January.”
Your goal is “still doing this in April.”

The “easing in” template (steal this)

Pick one goal in each category:

1. North star (abstract):
   “I want to feel ___ in my body/life this year.”
2. One SMART-ish habit:
   “___ days per week, I will ___ for ___ minutes, at ___.”
3. One If–Then plan:
   “If ___ happens, then I will ___.”
4. One winter kindness:
   “I will make this easier by ___.”
   (Examples: warming up longer, training earlier in the day, choosing home workouts when weather is feral, planning active social time.)

Curiously Aligned Take

January doesn’t need a dramatic makeover montage. It needs a steady hand on the steering wheel. Use the New Year “fresh start” motivation to begin, anchor your direction with a meaningful north-star goal, and then build the boring little habits that make it real. Start gently, progress slowly, and let winter be winter—your body will remember how you treated it.

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References (peer-reviewed)

• Bailey, R. R. (2017). Goal Setting and Action Planning for Health Behavior Change. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. PMC
• Bélanger-Gravel, A., Godin, G., & Amireault, S. (2013). A meta-analytic review of the effect of implementation intentions on physical activity. Health Psychology Review. Taylor & Francis Online
• Blume, C., Garbazza, C., & Spitschan, M. (2019). Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood. Somnologie. Springer Link
• Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Riis, J. (2014). The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior. Management Science. pubsonline.informs.org+1
• Dollish, H. K., & colleagues. (2023/2024). Circadian rhythms and mood disorders: Time to see the light. Neuron. PMC+1
• Gillison, F. B., Rouse, P., Standage, M., Sebire, S. J., & Ryan, R. M. (2019). A meta-analysis of techniques to promote motivation for health behaviour change based on Self-Determination Theory. Health Psychology Review. Taylor & Francis Online+1
• Impellizzeri, F. M., Tenan, M. S., Kempton, T., Novak, A., & Coutts, A. J. (2020). Training Load and Its Role in Injury Prevention (Part 2). Journal of Athletic Training. PMC
• Maupin, D., Schram, B., Canetti, E., et al. (2020). Acute:Chronic Workload Ratios and injury risk (review). Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. Dove Medical Press
• Oscarsson, M., et al. (2020). A large-scale experiment on New Year’s resolutions: approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals. PLoS ONE. PMC
• Patrick, H., & Williams, G. C. (2012). Self-determination theory: its application to health behavior and complementarity with motivational interviewing. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. Springer Link
• Swann, C., Jackman, P. C., Lawrence, A., Hawkins, R. M., & Goddard, S. G. (2022). The (over)use of SMART goals for physical activity promotion: A narrative review and critique. Health Psychology Review.