'Be kind to yourself': How to stick to your New Year’s resolution

Nearly half of Canadians make New Year’s resolutions, but sticking to them can be challenging.

Marketing research company Sago estimates about 43 per cent of Canadians make New Year’s resolution. These often include focusing on fitness and finances.

“Last year I didn't hit the gym as much as I would have been happy to, so this year I’m just going to try and be a bit more consistent,” Davis Ireland said in an interview with CTV News.

“The easy part is the gym, it's the other 95% of the time, that's where you have to cut out the fatty food,” Austin Jobb said.

Tyler Moellenbeck, a general manager at GoodLife Fitness in The Centre Mall, says January is a busy time of year.

“People are looking to change their journeys, change their routines, looking for something to help with that healthier and active lifestyle,” Moellenbeck said.

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January is also a busy time for IG Wealth Management. The financial firm said new clients often reach out at the start of the year because they want to start off “on the right foot.”

Christine Van Cauwenberghe, head of financial planning, said it’s important to keep New Year’s resolutions realistic and to “start small.”

“If you just look through your credit card spending, sometimes people realize, ‘oh, i've got a bunch of subscriptions for things that I don't even use anymore.’ These are things that you can do that may not involve huge sacrifice,” Van Cauwenberghe said.

Meanwhile, Moellenbeck said the key to sticking with your resolution, is taking it one step at a time.

“Be kind to yourself. Everyone has a different reason for getting started, but every reason is a good reason, so just be realistic and set attainable goals when you get started,” he said.