Happy New Year! We’ve officially stepped into 2026, and if you’re feeling a little heavier from the holiday season or a bit overwhelmed by the pressure of “resolutions,” you aren’t alone. Many of us start January aiming for a fresh start, but the key to actually reaching that finish line isn’t just willpower—it’s how you set the goal to begin with.
In the past, I used to talk about “getting a bikini body” as a primary goal. But as I’ve grown—and as I celebrate my 40th year—I’ve realized that fitness is about what your body can do, not just how it looks. This year, my personal goal is to run a full marathon.
Whether you want to run your first mile, your first marathon, starting strength training or anything else, here are the steps to set a specific and successful fitness goal for the new year.
Step 1: Set a “Main Goal” (And Get Specific!)
The foundation of a successful fitness journey is defining a clear “Main Goal.” Once you have a general idea, you must transform it into something specific. Instead of a vague wish like “I want to get healthy,” aim for a precise target like, “I want to run my first 5K without stopping” or “I want to attend three strength classes a week for the next two months.” Specificity is your best friend; it provides a concrete yardstick to measure your progress and keeps your daily efforts focused on a clear destination.
Next, you must dig deep into your “Why.” Is this goal about reclaiming your energy, improving your long-term health, or perhaps challenging yourself with a major event? Pinpointing your purpose creates the emotional anchor you need to stay driven when the initial January excitement inevitably fades. After the “Why” comes the “How“—the logistical bridge that connects your ambition to the actual training program you will eventually follow.
It is vital to strike a balance between ambition and reality. While we want to push our limits, setting an unreachable target often leads to burnout and discouragement. Evaluate your current fitness baseline, your weekly schedule, and any physical limitations you might have. By choosing a goal that is challenging yet achievable, you build the confidence necessary to maintain your momentum for the long haul.
Let’s look at a practical example. Rather than saying you want to “become a runner,” it is much more effective to specify a finish line. For me this year, that means “completing a full marathon by December.” This gives me a distinct picture of what success looks like. Then, I ask “Why?”. For me, this is about celebrating my 40th year and proving my resilience. Always remember: your goal must be for you, not for anyone else’s expectations. If the motivation isn’t internal, it is very easy to lose your way. Finally, define the “How” with measurable numbers—like “running 4 days a week”—so you can accurately track your journey toward the program phase.
Step 2: Create Your Program
After finalizing your specific goal and mapping out your milestones, the next step is to design a cohesive program. A well-structured plan serves as your roadmap, clearly outlining the specific actions required to reach your destination. This typically involves a combination of targeted workouts, nutritional adjustments, and conscious lifestyle changes. Building a program ensures that every minute you spend training is purposeful and aligned with your end goal.
Let’s look at our running example. To complete a marathon, building endurance and physical resilience is essential, which often means optimizing your body composition. To improve your power-to-weight ratio for long distances, you may need to focus on fat loss if necessary, which always requires maintaining a consistent calorie deficit. (You can dive deeper into this by reading HOW TO LOSE FAT AND GAIN MUSCLE AT THE SAME TIME IN 3 MONTHS to understand the science of a deficit). While optimizing your body for performance, it is vital to maintain proper macronutrient distribution to ensure your muscles recover and grow. (Check out HOW TO TRACK YOUR MACRONUTRIENTS NEEDS for a guide on balancing your intake for high-intensity training).
To support the heavy impact of long-distance running, strength training is a non-negotiable MUST. You need to develop a strong foundation in your legs, core, and posterior chain to prevent injury and maintain your form over 26.2 miles. You can integrate specific routines with one of my blog posts HOW TO BUILD AN EXERCISE PLAN to program your workout. Ultimately, consistency is the heartbeat of any successful journey. While you should strive to stick to your routine daily, remember that true NakaNaka living requires flexibility. Unexpected life events will happen, and being able to adapt your program without losing your momentum is what will get you to the finish line.
Step 3: Track Your Progress (The “Now” vs. “Then”)
Consistently tracking your progress is the secret to maintaining motivation and staying accountable to your vision. By keeping a detailed record of your training sessions, physical markers, and performance data, you can objectively evaluate how far you have come. Whether you prefer using a digital fitness app, a dedicated training journal, or a simple wall calendar, the method matters less than the habit. Regularly reviewing these logs allows you to celebrate small victories and make the necessary tactical adjustments to your program as you evolve.
Before you begin logging your data, it is absolutely vital to establish your baseline. You must be honest about your “current” condition and record it in your “NOW” section so you have a clear starting line. This might mean noting your current 1-mile pace, your resting heart rate, or your baseline strength levels. Without knowing where you are starting, it is impossible to measure the distance you have traveled toward your ultimate marathon goal.
The next phase is establishing a recording rhythm. You should set specific dates and a frequency for your check-ins to keep the momentum high. For our 2026 marathon example, let’s say your training officially begins on January 5th with a target race date in the fall. In this scenario, you might choose to record your long-run distance and recovery metrics every two weeks. Of course, you can track more frequently if that level of detail helps you stay focused on the finish line. Always remember that progress is rarely a straight line; setbacks and “off” days are a natural part of any athletic journey. Do not let minor fluctuations stress you out; instead, keep visualizing yourself crossing that finish line and learn to enjoy every single step of the process.
Step 4: Stay Motivated with Rewards
Lastly, maintaining your motivation is the fuel that will carry you through the entire year. It is essential to find creative ways to stay engaged and excited about your training, even when the initial New Year enthusiasm begins to dip. You can achieve this by setting meaningful rewards for hitting specific milestones, finding a dedicated workout partner, or immersing yourself in a supportive fitness community like NakaNaka Mom Fitness! Surrounding yourself with positive, like-minded influences ensures you have a safety net of support whenever you feel your energy wavering.
Personally, I find that a well-timed reward is one of the most effective tools for staying on track. These incentives don’t need to be extravagant, and they don’t always have to be directly related to your physical training. They serve as a “job well done” from you, to you. For our marathon journey, I might motivate myself with a reward geared toward my recovery and performance, such as a high-tech running watch, a new pair of high-performance shoes, or even a professional sports massage to celebrate completing a particularly difficult training block.
Beyond external rewards, there is an incredible boost that comes from simply looking back at how much you have grown. There is nothing quite like the feeling of realizing that a distance that once felt impossible is now part of your warm-up. When you see yourself physically and mentally closing the gap between your starting line and your ultimate goal, that internal sense of accomplishment becomes the most powerful motivator of all. Keep your eyes on that finish line, celebrate every small win, and remember why you started this journey in the first place.
Final Thoughts
Achieving a major fitness goal in 2026—whether you are shedding holiday weight or training for your first 26.2-mile finish line—requires a blend of strategic planning, deep dedication, and relentless perseverance. By following these structured steps and staying committed to the NakaNaka process, you aren’t just making a temporary resolution; you are setting yourself up for a deeply rewarding and life-changing journey. This New Year is about more than just a date on the calendar; it’s about proving to yourself that your biggest goals are within reach when you have the right mindset. Let’s make this the year to start building the real, lasting strength required to conquer our own personal fitness goals.
Ready to kickstart your year? Join me for my Free Collaborative Event on January 24th to set your 2026 intentions in motion! Email to erikanaka@nakanakamomfitness.com to save your spot!
