How to make sure your New Year's resolutions stick in 2026

Every January, 15 million Australians use the start of the new year as a chance to gaze inwards.

After a busy Christmas period, it's the perfect time to think about what you'd like the new year to look like, and how you can make that happen.

Identifying areas you want to improve is a good start, but making a New Year's resolution is the easy part.

The real work lies in sticking to your newfound goals as the weeks roll by.

These simple tips will help you stick to your resolutions long after the new year glow fades, helping you feel great about yourself all year long.

If you want to exercise more

Whether you're looking to lose weight, build muscle mass or increase your range of movement, one simple trick can help keep you on track.

Instead of fixating on a specific outcome, set yourself up for success by shifting your focus to building healthy new habits.

That might mean replacing a set weight loss goal with the simple act of showing up to the gym, then building that into your routine until it becomes something you can rely on even when your motivation is low.

Having someone to be accountable to is a huge help when you're trying to cement a new habit, and you'll find plenty of new gym buddies starting the new year on the right foot at Karmony.

Located at 32 Magill Road, Adelaide's best holistic gym for over 30s offers workouts designed to improve mobility, strength and general fitness as well as high-intensity boxing bag sessions, Pilates and yoga classes.

If you want to reduce your screen time

Love them or hate them, we all know that we spend too much time on our phones.

The average Australian devotes more than six hours a day to electronic devices, and it's easy to think of many more productive ways that time could be spent.

Add in adverse health and wellbeing outcomes including eye strain, disrupted sleep and increased anxiety, and reducing screen time is a no-brainer.

But our phones are so embedded in our lives that avoiding them completely is unrealistic.

Instead, it's worth examining how you can reduce your reliance on them in specific settings.

Using a phone before going to bed significantly reduces the effectiveness of sleep, which has a host of flow-on effects for wellbeing.

So rather than giving your phone pride of place on the bedside table, consider reserving a little space for a book to help you wind down at night.

If you don't have something ready to go, check out the comprehensive Summer Reading Guide from Dillons Bookstore at 160-166 The Parade.

If you want to drink less

Australians have been steadily reducing their alcohol consumption for years, but the excesses of the holiday period make this a common time to re-examine our relationship with drinking.

Whether you're looking to reduce your alcohol intake or take a break completely, having an appealing alternative is the key.

Fortunately, one of Australia's finest purveyors of non-alcoholic beverages is located at 24 Magill Road.

Mischief Brew specialises in sophisticated non-alcoholic beverages with complex flavours that incorporate plenty of native ingredients.

With flavours like pink grapefruit and finger lime, peach and white peony tea and pineapple, habanero and lime, their artisan sodas are tasty enough to savour without feeling like you're missing out, putting you in prime position for a healthy 2026.