Rediscovering Your Why: Setting and Achieving Health Goals in 2025
In today’s hectic and fast-paced world, we are busier than ever. Many of us find ourselves moving at breakneck speed to accomplish the day’s tasks before falling into deep sleep past our bedtime at night, only to do it all over again the next day.
The chaos of life can create challenges in setting and achieving goals, especially those that have to do with our health. Most goal-setting happens at the beginning of the new year, and as we start 2025, we are strong and full of motivation, only to lose momentum as time goes on. But why is this? And how can we stay committed to our health goals, even when life gets challenging and time is limited?
We sat down with Dr. Joshua Goodrum, a functional medicine doctor at OnePeak Medical’s Ashland clinic and the organization’s first-ever Wellness Officer, to discuss the importance of why in setting and achieving health goals.
The Power of Why in Goal-Setting
“The key to long-term success lies in understanding your why,” explains Dr. Goodrum. “When you have a strong reason for pursuing a particular health goal, it becomes easier to stay motivated, even when faced with challenges.”
He emphasizes that simply setting a health goal, like “I want to lose weight,” isn’t enough. Instead, we must go deeper into our motivation and ask ourselves, “Why do I want to lose weight?” Is it to improve our overall health? To feel more confident? Or to be able to keep up with our children? Having a solid reason you believe in makes it easier to remain motivated when life gets tough.
Redefining Stress and Building Resilience
As many know, stress directly impacts our health in various ways. In addition to impacting our mental health, stress has been shown to weaken the immune system and increase the risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and even type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Goodrum suggests that instead of managing stress, we should focus on building resilience. He advises that when we say something is stressful, we pair it with suffering. Our response to stressful events impacts how we feel about them and what that response does to our bodies (i.e., increased heart rate, difficulty sleeping, etc.).
“By redefining stress as a necessary part of life, we can shift our perspective and respond to challenges in a more positive and productive way,” he says.
Dr. Goodrum suggests that rather than thinking these stressful things are happening to you (victim mentality), consider instead that these things are happening through you, and you have a choice in how you respond to what’s happening.
“Reframing our perspective isn’t ignoring or suppressing what’s happening,” said Dr. Goodrum. “It is embracing life in all its beauty and suffering and choosing which one to pay attention to. We’ve gotten through every worse day of our lives to this point, and there won’t be a worse day that won’t be overcome in the future.”
Practical Tips for Achieving Your Health Goals in 2025
- Get Clear on Your Why: Spend time reflecting on your motivations for pursuing your health goals. What are the underlying reasons? Get clear and ensure your goal is deep-rooted and not superficial. For example, I want to begin a meditation practice because I know that stress is making me sick, and I want to live a long and healthy life.
- Embrace Flexibility: Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. Be open to adjusting your plans and strategies and not fixating on a particular result. Don’t lock yourself into your perfect version of the future because nothing is guaranteed, and you must be able to pivot as needed.
- Prioritize Mindfulness: Slow down and pay attention to the present moment. We all get 24 hours in a day, so try shifting from managing time to managing the activities that fill your time to become more efficient in all you do.
- Break It Down: Divide your goals into smaller, more manageable steps. This can make the journey less overwhelming. If your goal is to exercise five days a week for an hour, build up to that frequency.
- Celebrate Your Wins: Acknowledge your achievements, no matter how small. This can help boost your motivation and keep you on track.
New year’s resolutions and health goals for 2025 can be achieved with the right mindset. Slow down to the here and now, and you will be much more apt to remember the why and continue doing the necessary things to move toward your goal. Your OnePeak Medical family is also here to help support you. Let us know how we can help you achieve your health goals and live a happier, healthier life.