As we head into 2025, are you thinking about New Year’s resolutions?

They’re often hard to keep, especially ones related to diet and exercise.

But the more thought you put into making your health-related goals, the better.

“When we look at studies on New Year’s resolutions, what we find is that the more general the goal, the less likely you are to actually achieve it. With this in mind, putting some specifics behind a goal is really important,” said Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, a registered dietitian for Cleveland Clinic.

Kirkpatrick explained it’s not enough to just say you’ll eat better or exercise more in the new year.

You want to set a specific goal, like having a vegetable with each meal or going for a walk after dinner to help with blood sugar management.

Along with making your goals more focused, keeping them realistic is crucial as well.

Kirkpatrick said you don’t have to immediately overhaul your diet – you can start with simple swaps, like replacing refined grains with whole grains.

She added it’s important to remember we’re not perfect, and it’s OK if we get off track with our diets and exercise from time to time.

“When we don’t do something we said we were going to do related to healthy eating or exercise, we beat ourselves up and have a lot of shame,” Kirkpatrick said. “I hear my patients say, ‘Well, I didn’t work out today, so I might as well just not work out the rest of the week.’ But I think the difference between someone who really makes a goal and sticks with it, is the person who can get right back on the wagon.”

Kirkpatrick said that each day is a new opportunity to work towards our health goals and encourages people not to let yesterday’s choices affect their actions today.