Frontline Health

#122 - A Practical Blueprint For Resolutions That Last

• Troy Duell

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We break down why most resolutions fail and replace shame and willpower with a simple, proven system that makes health change easy and durable. Clear steps, tiny wins, better environments, and social support turn “new year, same habits” into steady progress.

• why vague, huge, and shame-based goals fail
• cue–routine–reward explained with real examples
• identity-first habits that feel natural
• if–then plans that remove decision fatigue
• start tiny and favor consistency over intensity
• environment design to make good choices easy
• accountability that increases follow-through
• a six-step framework for goals that stick
• plan for setbacks with “never miss twice”

Share it with a friend who’s talking about New Year’s resolutions and pick one small habit to do together.


If you want more practical tools, education, and products that can help support you along your health and wellness journey, feel free to visit www.centurion.health and follow us on social media for all kinds of daily tips and updates.


If you enjoyed what you heard today on the podcast, please consider leaving us a review. We would love to hear your feedback and connect with you further.


And for safe, effective, and affordable health and wellness products made in the USA, visit www.centurion.health


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SPEAKER_00:

Today on the Frontline Health Podcast. So instead of saying you're gonna run three miles, the habit is I'm gonna put on my running shoes and just step outside, which may sound kind of silly and ridiculous, but really the point is trying to build up that identity that you talked about earlier. I'm somebody who gets out and exercises. I'm somebody who takes my health seriously. So those are things that you can say to yourself. And one of the ways you do it is I'm just gonna put on my shoes and we're gonna step outside and then start doing something for 15 minutes instead of jumping straight into running three miles.

SPEAKER_01:

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Frontline Health Podcast by Centurion Health, where we share health news, tips, and insights to help you take ownership of your health. I'm Evan.

SPEAKER_00:

And I'm Troy. And today we're talking about something that everybody deals with this time of year. I know I do, Evan, I know we've talked about it before, but it's New Year's resolutions and really how to make those resolutions stick, especially the ones regarding health.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, we've all been there. We say things like new year, new me, as if something's gonna change when the calendar changes. Uh, a lot of people they'll get in that new gym membership, they'll find a new fad diet, they're gonna commit to things like no sugar at all, waking up earlier, and then real life shows up after we've had our holiday break, and suddenly it's new year, same habits.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh, that is absolutely right. New year tends to punch us in the face about three weeks into it, uh, sometimes even sooner. But here's the the part that we're gonna talk about is the problem really isn't with us, it's most likely the system that we're using to try to get these New Year's resolutions to stick. And what we're gonna talk about today is a little bit of the research that shows some behavior change that you can do and some habits that you can form and break, and hopefully some strategies that will help you keep your New Year's resolution.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, we really want to talk about why that motivation fades, how we can set both set goals that our brains don't immediately rebel against, and just some simple ways to change our environments so that healthy choices are actually easier for us to make. So let's start with the somewhat depressing but necessary reality check. Troy, what do you know about how often New Year's resolutions actually work?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so unfortunately most studies show, and they seem to do this on a consistent basis, that New Year's resolutions are gone within the first few months of the year. Different surveys kind of give some different numbers, but most of them find that around 80% of New Year's resolutions are dropped by February or March. Um, so it doesn't bode well for New Year's resolutions, but it also doesn't mean that people are lazy or broken. It may just mean that they need to change their approach.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it's crazy that this is so much of a phenomenon that we actually have a national quitters day where people most people have.

SPEAKER_00:

I didn't realize that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, there is a recognized quitters day because that's when most people quit their uh their New Year's resolutions, and it's actually just like a few weeks into January. Um, but you say that our most people's approach is flawed, and if we can change our approach, maybe things can be different. So, like what are some of those flaws? Because I feel like people want to change. Um, they're getting the gym memberships, they're signing up for programs, they're committing their future self to something. So the desire's there, yet people fail constantly every single year when it comes to New Year's resolutions.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I mean, and I'm sure you've been a part of it. I know I have, where there were some New Year's resolutions that maybe failed. And some of the research, I think hopefully will shed a little bit of light on why that happened. The first thing that they found was that goals were too vague. In other words, I'm gonna get healthy, I'm gonna lose some weight, I'm gonna eat better. Our brain doesn't really know how to process that, so there's no clear action that comes into place. So you really want to change that piece. We also see in studies that goals may be too big or too fast. We're going from zero workouts to I'm gonna work out six days a week, I'm gonna quit sugar, I'm gonna sleep eight hours every night, I'm gonna stop all these things, and we tend to get overwhelmed. Kind of like somebody who says, I'm gonna go run a marathon, and they go out the very next day and they try to run a marathon. It's not gonna work real well. Uh, the third thing that we saw in these studies was we're relying on motivation instead of systems. So rah-rah only happens to carry you so far. There is certainly some uh element of the rah-rah helping you. Maybe it helps you get out of bed for the first few weeks, but it doesn't keep that process going. You've got to have some systems, you've got to have some routines, and I like to say you even have to have some uh quality environment, meaning some accountability in there in order for it to really work for you. And then the last one that we saw was a shame-based strategy. That's where we typically try to beat ourselves into change or to some kind of submission, and we talk about how we're so undisciplined. Um, I'm gonna stop being lazy this year. And really, we're creating this shame in ourselves and we're creating this mindset that we can't really get out of because we already are admitting that we're undisciplined or that we're lazy, and we end up relapsing and causing more issues when we do that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's that's really helpful to just kind of outline those specific reasons why people fail with their New Year's resolutions. I've definitely set those all or nothing goals, and it you feel so powerful in that moment, like you're taking charge of your life until you fail one time, and then you're like, well, there goes the whole year, and you just give up because you maybe missed one workout or or fell short in uh in one way. I know we'll get into some of this in a little bit, but just a quick insight um from James Clear's Atomic Habits. I know we reference this later on in the episode. Um, but he talks about how so many of these habits that we want to establish really have to do with changing our identity and the way that we think about ourselves, where instead of saying, I'm gonna go do this crazy thing, you say, I am I'm the type of person who trains and does this thing, and you establish these patterns rather than just looking to have, you know, to hit a grand slam, you're you're in the batting cage doing doing practice and you're you're changing, you know, basically your identity instead of just a thing that you have accomplished or a thing that you have done.

SPEAKER_00:

That is so true. And I think when you change that identity and you change your mindset and you start to speak really true things over yourself, even if you haven't gotten there yet, but it's where you're wanting to go, we know that research shows that that has a huge impact, along with the fact that if you have those small, consistent actions instead of that huge, unsustainable burst that most people try to do this time of year, those things will really lead to a habit that sticks. And because you're starting to believe those things, and because it's not so big, you're able to actually get some momentum and some traction because you're being successful with things. And you're not gonna see yourself as a loser or a quitter. You're giving yourself an opportunity to see, hey, I can do these things. So that's why small and consistent and talking right things to yourself is so important.

SPEAKER_01:

So we know the typical New Year's approach doesn't work. We obviously need a better blueprint for this. So let's shift into what actually does help habits stick.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I think uh some of those habits, I'll jump into it, but if you really think of three different things, you want to have a cue from most of the research, which means it's gonna be some kind of trigger for the behavior itself. It could be a time of day, it could be an emotion, it could be a place or a person that causes that behavior. Uh, routine is another thing that's the actual behavior. So eating a snack, going for a walk, scrolling on your phone, something like that. And then reward. We all like to be rewarded for things that we do. So our brain gets pleasure uh from that, we get a relief of uh some kind of stress, or we have a sense of accomplishment. And when you do these things over time, you're kind of your brain wires these things together to create a habit. So if you have that cue that you're supposed to do something, your brain goes on autopilot and it actually does it for you. Um, and that's what habits are all about, really.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so this is actually like a scientific thing. It's not just willpower, it's literally a learned pattern in your nervous system.

SPEAKER_00:

That's right. And uh I think the key to it all is you don't really break the habits by attacking that behavior with guilt, which is our normal pattern. Man, I'm so lazy, I didn't get up this morning, I didn't go. But instead, if we change that cue, we change that routine, or we give ourselves a different reward that allows us to really be incentivized to get out there, then that's when we start to change those habits and directions.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and I like that because you know it kind of explains something like stress eating, why that's such a common thing. The cue for somebody is stress, the way that their body has learned to react to that is the stress eating, and then the reward is the soothing or the distraction, the pleasure that comes from eating that junk food.

SPEAKER_00:

That's absolutely right, because you can see in your example how addressing that underlying cue and reward is super difficult because we all have those things that trigger it, but if we can and we can change your brain from being cued into a negative direction to a positive direction, you can change everything. And really, uh, it's all about if I go back to reading scripture and I think about taking captive every thought to the obedience of Christ, it's a a verse in scripture. We've got to recognize that wrong thought and then point it in a positive direction. And when we do that, that's when we can truly see a change take place in each of us.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's so good. And it and it's like deciding in advance what you how you're gonna respond to different situations, uh, rather than just like going with what your your flesh naturally wants to do, which tends to be kind of destructive to ourselves. Instead of I'm never going to eat a snack at night again, uh, maybe a better approach to that stress eating might be when I'm stressed at night, instead of going straight to the pantry, I'm gonna make a tea that's gonna relax me and read for 10 minutes instead of just doing that stress-eating response.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, which I think is a perfect example and a great way to do it. You've got the same cue because we're all gonna have stress, you're still gonna have stress, but what's the new routine around that? I'm gonna fix some tea and I'm gonna read, and you get that same kind of reward for your brain. You're getting some comfort, you're getting some decompression, but you're not getting all the bad things that go along with it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that that is so good. And I think it's also important to know this uh this whole cycle of the cue, the routine, and the reward, it works in both the negative but also in the positive. Um, that's the really cool thing to me about habits, is just knowing that um that this can work negatively and positive, positively, depending on the the habits that you're trying to um to stop or start. So why don't we talk about some of the key findings from research that can actually guide how we set new year goals?

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. I I think there are a few principles that kind of show up again and again when you start to look at the literature. And the first is if-then plans or implementation intentions is what they call it. And that comes from psychology, where basically you say I'll exercise more. Instead, you say if it's Monday, Wednesday, or Friday at 7 a.m., then I'm gonna walk for 20 minutes around my neighborhood. And when you use that specific example, you're more likely to follow through because you've decided when and where, and your mind doesn't have to think about anything other than getting out and actually doing that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, you're getting a little more specific with the routine rather than just the outcome that you want. And like we kind of mentioned earlier, you're taking decision making out of the moment when you're tired and stressed and you've already decided what you're gonna do and when you're gonna do it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and your cue is that Monday at 7 a.m. So you know this is gonna happen every time, and when you're up, you go make that thing happen. You know, the second one that we saw was kind of start really, really small. So if if you look at things to kind of make a habit out of it, you make it really small so it's impossible to fail because you want your brain to kind of understand that you've got some positive feedback. This is good, I'm able to do it. So instead of saying you're gonna run three miles, the habit is I'm gonna put on my running shoes and just step outside, which may sound kind of silly and ridiculous, but really the point is trying to build up that identity that you talked about earlier. I'm somebody who gets out and exercises, I'm somebody who takes my health seriously. So those are things that you can say to yourself. And one of the ways you do it is I'm just gonna put on my shoes and we're gonna step outside and then start doing something for 15 minutes instead of jumping straight into running three miles.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and it's kind of ridiculously easy on purpose. Uh, I remember the first time that I read Atomic Habits, they talk about this example, and it's supposed to be ridiculous because your thought process, if you wake up in the morning and you put on your running shoes and you just go outside, is well, this is kind of silly if I don't actually, you know, maybe just go for a 10-minute walk, something that's ridiculously easy that you've already set up to do. You're usually going to do something uh with that rather than just doing nothing. And you can slowly build from that once you're in a routine.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. It's that success momentum that happens when your brain gets that quick win, you get that positive emotion and you keep going and you want to do it more and more and more. Um, and you know, building on that, I think not just putting your shoes on, not just stepping outside, but the consistency piece is big. So it is more important to be consistent than it is to do it at a highly intense pace. So the research really talks about uh repetition is more important than duration. So putting on your shoes three days a week is more important than running once for 20 minutes because you're going to actually do something when you put on your shoes and you're going to have some success with that. So you want to be sure that whatever you're doing, you can do on a regular basis and it becomes a routine and a habit. And then once you get to a certain level and you've had all the success, then push it just a little bit further.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So instead of kind of asking the question, what's the hardest workout I can do? How hard can I push myself in the gym today? The better question is, what's the easiest thing that I will definitely do four or five days a week consistently?

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. Um, I think that is a huge key. And then number four on our list of things that we looked at was environmental design. So we know that environment is huge, meaning um when you have healthy foods and they're around and they're visible and they're accessible, then you are gonna be more likely to consume those healthy foods and taking on that healthy option. And you don't even have to worry about willpower because if you're hungry and you see a banana or an orange or an apple, that's the first thing you're gonna get because the other side of us, which is too lazy to go fix something, will uh be outpaced and help us in that scenario. So put those things that are good for us out in front of us. You know, if we want to read more, put a book by our bed, delete that social media app from our home screen. If we want to drink more and be better hydrated throughout the day, then fill up that water bottle and keep it within arm's reach all day long. We we do that with our cell phones, but we rarely do it with something to drink and staying hydrated. And then if you want to go to the gym, then put your workout clothes out and shoes out the night before and make sure that it's easy, that you're not gonna wake up anybody in the morning and you're gonna be able to slip out and go get that workout in.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, you're basically sort of making the good choices easy and the bad choices a little bit hard or more inconvenient.

SPEAKER_00:

That's right, uh, which is key for all of us. And then number five on these list of things that seem to help us uh long term is really accountability and that social support. We know that we are super social as creatures, and studies show that when you've got a partner or a group or some kind of accountability that goes on, you're gonna be much more inclined to sticking to that habit because you don't want to let people down. So it can look as easy as having a walking buddy or having somebody that you can text or call where uh before your workout or after your workout to say, hey, I did it. Or even if you're married, then you and your wife or spouse work on things that you want to keep around the house and make sure that we're keeping the good uh foods around the house, the apples, the oranges, uh nuts, whatever it is, and keeping that processed food out of the house. And then anytime you share whatever your goal is with somebody else and you check in with them on a regular basis, there is a much greater likelihood you're gonna keep that goal and you're gonna hold to that habit because none of us, none of us like to let somebody down. And you know, you're either gonna keep the goal or you're not gonna see that friend anymore because you're gonna try to avoid them on a regular basis. Either way, uh, it's gonna remind you that's gonna be your cue to get back at it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so that's that's so funny because I think this can work positively and negatively. Uh, I have had gym partners before where we both mutually agreed we didn't want to do something on a given day. Um, but no, it's interesting. It kind of goes back to the you show me your five closest friends, I'll show you the person that you're gonna be in five years. Um and it's it's so important and so true when it comes to our our habits that the the people around us um can help help make or break the the habits that we form.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01:

So let's get really super practical here. Um someone's listening right now and they're thinking, I want to set some new year health goals that I can actually keep. Let's get really specific here. Where do they start?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I think uh setting up as simple a framework as we possibly can. First, pick whatever that primary health goal is, not 10, but just one. And it might be improving your. Sleep, moving more consistently, cleaning up your diet, managing stress, whatever it is. But ultimately you want to ask yourself, what's the one change that if I improved that or got better at whatever it is, would move the needle most for my health this year? And I think if you can answer that, then you're well on your way.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's great. You're not trying to fix everything at once, you're just choosing one thing. So that's step one. Check choose only one primary health goal that you're gonna change. What's step number two?

SPEAKER_00:

Two is turn it into that specific behavior. We've already talked about coming up with cues or whatever, but we want to translate that into specific, repeatable behavior. So we mentioned earlier, instead of saying eat healthier, say you're gonna eat 20 to 30 grams of protein with breakfast a day. Instead of grabbing a processed food for a snack, you're gonna eat fruits and vegetables for that. Instead of saying you're gonna exercise more, you're gonna say I'm gonna walk for 15 minutes after dinner for five days a week. And then once you do that one thing, you can always add more. So you don't have to just stop with that one. Um, but once you've conquered it, once you feel good, then you move on.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, so choose one health goal, turn it into a specific behavior, and then what's next?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you're gonna add that if-then plan. So this is where implementation becomes key. We discussed it earlier and mentioned this. If it's a weekday at 7 a.m., then I'll make a protein breakfast. If it's Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, and it's 7 a.m., I'm going for a 15-minute walk. If I finish dinner, then I'll immediately put on my shoes and go for a 15-minute walk. Whatever it is, say it out loud, write it down, put it on your fridge, put it on your mirror, wherever it is that you're gonna have the greatest likelihood of seeing it on a regular basis.

SPEAKER_01:

That's so good. Let's keep going. This next one's my favorite step.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh, yes, because it's all about making it easier. We should always make it 50% easier than it should be because we don't want to quit. We don't want to give up. So, whatever it is you're trying to do, cut it by about 50% so it feels so easy, almost too easy. So the thought is I should walk 30 minutes, instead, make a goal of 15 minutes to ensure that you're gonna hit that goal and that your mind is start starting to work with you to build that habit. You know, if you have the thought, I need to go to the gym five days a week, commit to two to three days per week, and make those two to three days non-negotiable if you know you can do it. Because if you feel like you're putting in too much effort or you feel like you're climbing uh Mount Everest every time you get up, you're more than likely not going to follow through with what is going to happen. So you can always ask yourself, what can I do, even on my worst day, that will help me improve my health? And then I would say the final thing, well not final, but uh the fifth, I'd say the fifth thing is you want to attach that reward to it. So give your brain a reward that it's gonna look forward to. It doesn't have to be food, it can be something like checking off a habit tracker, it can be listening to your podcast that you want to listen to or watching a TV show. It could be anything along those lines that you want to put in place that you feel like you would get a lot of joy and pleasure from.

SPEAKER_01:

So you're pairing the new behavior with something that your brain already enjoys as a reward system.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely, because we know that anytime we do something that we enjoy, we're gonna want to do that thing over and over and over again in order to get that reward. We're not much different than uh Pavlov's dog when it comes to that.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, now our final step.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, so you want to plan for failure. Um, and you want to plan for it and not be shamed to the point that you're not gonna pick it back up because setbacks are going to happen, your uh calendar is gonna get full, you're gonna end up going out of town, you're gonna go visit relatives, whatever it is, you're probably gonna have something that happens that keeps you from doing what you want to do. But what you want to instill is a principle that says, you know what, I may have missed today, but I'm not gonna miss tomorrow. I'm not gonna miss the next one. And you never want to miss more than two days in a row, or maybe it's three days in a row if you're out of town. But what is kind of that backup version of the habit? If you can't walk 15 minutes, then walk five if you're on the road. If you can't uh cook a great meal, then what can you get off of the menu that would be a healthier option than whatever else is on there? And really look for ways that you can get uh get moving and get in the habit of eating right and doing what your body needs. So, and if you don't do it, then don't be shamed about it, but instead admit that, hey, you blew it that day, but tomorrow I'm gonna move forward. What was it that kept me from going uh down the path that I needed to go down? And what can I do to remove whatever it was that got in my way from keeping my goal from happening?

SPEAKER_01:

I love that, Troy, because we know we live in a fallen world, people get sick, kids wake up at night, work explodes, and we have to make room for that when we're coming up with any type of goals. So just to recap, our practical framework for building health goals that actually stick. Step one, pick one primary health goal, not 10, just one. Step number two, turn it into a specific behavior. Step three, add an if-then plan. Four, make it 50% easier than you think it should be. Step five, attach a reward. And then finally, plan for failure without shame because we know that life happens. Troy, this has been such a good practical episode for anyone who's trying to make changes at the start of the new year or really anytime, right? That's the beauty, is that you don't have to wait until the new year comes around in order to do this. You can constantly be improving and establishing new habits one little thing at a time.

SPEAKER_00:

Totally agree. And I think it's one of those things that if we start with these easy steps first, we get some positive momentum moving, then three months down the road, you may have conquered that and you move to the next thing on your list and you begin to create another small momentum and you just keep adding, and before you know it, you'll be in much better health a year from now than you are right now and where you started.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, if this episode was helpful, be sure to share it with a friend who's talking about New Year's resolutions and maybe even you pick one small habit that you can do together. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Frontline Health Podcast. And if you want more practical tools, education, and products that can help support you along your health and wellness journey, feel free to visit www.centurion.health and follow us on social media for all kinds of daily tips and updates. Go out today, take ownership of your health because you are your best health advocate. We'll see you next time. If you enjoyed what you heard today on the podcast, please consider leaving us a review. We would love to hear your feedback and connect with you further. You can also follow us on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube. And for safe, effective, and affordable health and wellness products made in the USA, visit www.centurion.health. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time.