TAMPA, Fla. — So you’ve rung in 2025, and you’ve set some lofty goals for the New Year, but how do you make sure those goals become a reality? Experts shared some tips to help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions.
The intention could be simple or with big dreams in mind.
“I would like to start working out in the morning before work,” said Emily Driscoll.
“My goal is to save a little more money this year, possibly set myself up for a down payment for a house,” said James Foecking.
Stephanie Moir, a licensed mental health counselor, suggests starting with SMART goals. The acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
“Specific, we want to make sure that our goal is specific enough where we’re breaking it down and kind of trying to already incorporate some kind of measurable aspect to it,” said Moir.
Moir said attainable equates to ‘is this a reality for me?,’ while of course, you want to choose something that’s relevant to you.
“If you set an intention of I am going to run a mile in under eight minutes or something like that, that’s probably pretty realistic if you start accomplishing it and you’ve been running, but I probably wouldn’t set that as an intention if I’m not a runner,” said Moir.
Finally, that leaves time-bound.
“Saying I'd like to do this within 60 days, 90 days, maybe this is my target,” Moir said.
Moir pointed out that taking things slower is more effective in the long run, and having a partner might help keep you accountable.
People in Tampa also weighed in on how they plan to follow through on their resolutions.
“I think if I just stop buying silly stuff on Amazon, little ads that pop up, stuff I don’t need,” said Foecking.
“I am going to consistently go to bed earlier. That’s my other goal, too,” said Driscoll. “That’s how I’m going to try to stick to it.”
A frustrated Zephyrhills homeowner still has flooded yard months after Hurricane Milton.
