by Clare Kennedy
Level 4 personal trainer UCD, Certified nutritionist with MAC Nutrition
My passion is helping people reach goals they have struggled to achieve. While weight loss and body composition are the most active part of my practice, I also work with clients diagnosed with conditions such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia, hypo-mobility, recovering from injury and osteoarthritis.
Every January, the world collectively decides it’s time for a fresh start and we all start with the best of intentions, but by February, most of us have ditched our resolutions! Why is this? Well according to Professor Katy Milkman, a behavioural scientist at Wharton, the reason these goals often fail isn’t a lack of willpower—it’s a lack of strategy.
To make your resolutions stick, it’s helpful and interesting to understand the science of change -“Behavioural Engineering.” Here are some of the ‘key take outs’ from Professor Katy Milkman, which I think are super helpful if you are keen to develop fitness habits that you can stick to.
1. Capitalize on the “fresh start effect”
Milkman’s research shows that we don’t see time as a continuous line, but as a series of chapters. A New Year, a birthday, or even a Monday acts as a “temporal landmark.” These dates allow us to relegate our “old, failed selves” to the past chapter and start a fresh.
- The Habit: Use the energy of January 1st (or the first Monday of the month) to kickstart your routine.
- The Science: If you fall off the wagon, pick a new “mini fresh start” like the start of a new week to reset your psychology. Don’t give up just because you have a bad day/week.
2. Use “temptation bundling”
One of Milkman’s most famous concepts is temptation bundling. This is the act of pairing a “want” (something you love) with a “should” (your workout).
- The Habit: Choose workouts that you genuinely like and make them even better by for example adding an audio reward.
- The Strategy: Only allow yourself to listen to a specific, favourite playlist, while you are working out. If you only let yourself hit play during your resistance training class, you’ll find yourself actually looking forward to the exercise just to hear the next track.
3. Build an environment that outsmarts forgetfulness
Milkman notes that we often fail simply because we forget our intentions or succumb to the path of least resistance.
- The Habit: Lay out your clothes the night before and/or keep your mat and weights visible.
- The Science: This is called “cue-based planning.” By setting up your environment, you create a visual trigger. Better yet, create an “if-then” plan: “If it is 7:00 AM and I am in the kitchen, then I will do 15 minutes of mobility before my coffee.”
4. The power of “emergency reserves”
Many of us quit our resolutions the moment we miss a day. Milkman’s research suggests that flexibility is actually more effective than rigid consistency.
- The Habit: Create routines that fit your real life — shorter workouts for busy weeks and movement snacking.
- The Science: Give yourself two “get out of jail free” cards per week. Studies show that people who have a goal of working out daily but allow themselves two “emergency reserve” days are actually more likely to stick to the habit long-term than those who aim for a perfect (but brittle) daily streak.
5. Focus on the immediate rewards
Milkman found that we are “present-biased” — we care more about how we feel now than a goal six months away.
- The Habit: Focus on how you want to feel — clear-headed, strong, energized — rather than a number on the scales.
- The Science: Because the long-term benefits of fitness (longevity, weight health) are delayed, they aren’t great motivators for our impulsive brains. By focusing on an immediate mood boost or the “post-workout glow,” you give your brain an instant reward that makes the habit stick.
6. Be kind to yourself – life happens
When we slip up, we often fall victim to the “what the heck effect” — the idea that because we missed one class, we might as well stop doing the whole course. Milkman encourages us to treat ourselves with the same kindness we’d show a friend.
Final thought
Effort is what creates change, not perfection. When you let go of the pressure to reinvent yourself, you make room for steady, supportive habits. We spend so much time worrying about getting older, when really the goal is aging well.
Ready to start your fresh start?
Take a look at my resistance training course — it’s the perfect “small start” to build your foundation for 2026.