Did doctors and mental health professionals stick with their 2024 New Year resolutions?

SINGAPORE – In December 2023, The Straits Times

asked doctors and mental health professionals

to share their New Year’s resolutions for improving their well-being.

Two years later, we check in with six of them to find out whether they met their goals and what has helped, or hindered, their progress.

Their experiences reveal that while it is easy to set goals for a better year, it can be hard to achieve your targets.

Their tips for success include finding external support, practising self-compassion and choosing consistency over perfection while building new habits.

External support can help

Two years ago, Dr Andrew Fang, 39, told ST that he planned to exercise more, since physical activity has a positive impact on mental health and well-being.

However, it was tough to schedule time to be active. “Clinical work and other meetings took priority, and resolutions dropped down the list,” says the medical director at private medical company Doctor Anywhere.

Just as he felt he was losing momentum, his wife engaged a personal trainer for him. “That forced me to make time and exercise,” he says.

In addition, he started fitting in exercise “snacks” during his day, rather than trying to schedule longer sessions at the gym.

“I find it easier to be flexible and do some exercise when there are pockets of time,” he says. “Even 15 minutes means I can do some brisk walking or jogging, or some push-ups if there is no one around.”

Dr Fang is also fitting exercise into family time.

“One of the things that made exercise more fun is that my kids are older and learning sports, so I can play with them,” he says. He has two sons aged seven and five. He swims and plays badminton with them.

He will continue his efforts to keep fit in 2026.

Some of his relatives have floated the idea of signing up for a run together.

“We used to do that in the past, but then we became busier and stopped. Now they’ve initiated the idea of doing a run again, so I may join them,” he says.

Be realistic and flexible

Dr Edwin Chng, 43, senior physician at Parkway Shenton, hit his fitness goal for 2025 by reducing his body fat to below 15 per cent.

However, his earlier resolution to make a habit of mindfulness meditation had to be adjusted to meet increased demands on his time.

In 2025, he switched to a weekly meditation practice, down from a daily routine before going to sleep in 2024. This is because he is doing a master’s in healthcare quality and safety, which requires him to attend night classes online.

“I’m often quite exhausted and short on time,” he says.

But the weekly mindfulness meditation is non-negotiable.

“Mental health is a top priority in my life,” he says. “Good mental health is necessary for good physical health, increased productivity, better relationships and an enhanced quality of life in general.”

When setting goals, it is important to be realistic and flexible, he adds. If something gets in the way of achieving your goals, be kind to yourself.

“Reassure yourself. Maybe you haven’t achieved what you wanted to do this year, but you can always extend your timeline,” he says.

“Goal-setting is not limited to a single date like the New Year. It can be any time that feels personally meaningful.”

Take a break

Dr Lim Boon Leng, 49, psychiatrist at Gleneagles Hospital, says the past two years have taught him the importance of taking time to rest.

“In healthcare, many of us equate progress with perpetual striving. But sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is pause,” he says.

In 2023, he told ST that he experienced lethargy during the day and wanted to get a sleep study done to check whether he had obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

OSA is a dangerous sleep disorder, often characterised by chronic and severe snoring. During sleep, the muscles of the airway collapse and obstruct the flow of air.

However, working on a different New Year’s resolution solved the problem. Dr Lim prioritised rest and consciously reduced his workload.

“With more time for rest and regular exercise, I managed to lose some weight and the symptoms that suggested possible sleep apnoea have since improved,” he says.

Resting also requires discipline, he adds.

“I’ve had to deliberately challenge the internal narrative that resting equates to being unproductive. It’s been a gradual mental shift from guilt to acceptance, from thinking, ‘I should be working harder’, to ‘It’s okay to rest.’”

The same attitude helps him maintain healthy habits in the long term. Breaks in routine should not stop you from continuing in the right direction, he says.

“Many give up too quickly because they expect long-term results in the short term. There will always be detours, but what matters is steering back towards your direction,” he adds.

Ditch the ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset

Ms Martine Hill, 62, says to ditch the “pass or fail” mentality when it comes to your goals.

For the past few years, the counsellor and director at Alliance Counselling has worked on getting better-quality sleep.

Her night-time routine includes using a meditation app, a lavender spray and putting screens away before bedtime. Yet those cues do not always work, and that is okay.

“I don’t look for perfection,” she says. “I accept that there are some days when I’ve not had great sleep, but I’m still able to function.”

Making sleep a priority means that there are more days of good sleep than bad, which improves her quality of life in general.

She also maintains a regular exercise routine of weight training twice a week; pilates three times a week; and walking 5 to 10km three times a week. Her exercise buddies keep her consistent, since they motivate one another to show up.

“Having an accountability partner makes a difference,” she says.

She has met all her goals for 2024 and 2025, including adding playfulness and lightness to life. She joined craft workshops and went scuba diving, as well as met new people for guided conversations over dinner.

“My goals were reasonable, simple, human and possible,” she says. “They were small goals, and I was consistent.”

Aim for consistency, not perfection

Dr Rie Kubota planned to go on long walks in nature to improve her well-being over the past two years. She had to modify that goal to fit her circumstances.

“Longer nature walks didn’t happen as much as I had hoped because of work and other commitments,” says the senior clinical psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health.

“Living in the city area also made accessing larger green spaces harder,” adds Dr Kubota, who is in her mid-40s.

She now looks to take long walks during holidays, heading to waterfalls or beaches. She also walks in green spaces in Singapore when possible.

“These walks help me disconnect from stress and reconnect with the present moment,” she says.

To deal with stress and improve mental health, she focuses on staying consistent with mindfulness practices such as meditation.

She opts for short sessions of one to three minutes of guided meditation using her Apple Watch, since these fit into her routine. She focuses on being consistent, rather than on the length of time spent meditating.

This is part of her 2025 resolution to be less self-critical and to approach challenges with greater self-compassion. She says this has helped her be more balanced and to respond better to setbacks or difficult emotions.

“The main lesson from the past year has been to ease up on self-judgment and be patient with myself,” Dr Kubota says.

“Progress does not have to be perfect. Do not underestimate the small steps. Steady habits can make a big impact and support mental well-being over time.”

Let goals evolve with you

Ms Theresa Pong, 50, planned to spend more time with family and do more professional networking over the past two years.

However, the founder and counselling director of The Relationship Room expanded her business in 2024. She went from a single room with two counsellors to two rooms and three counsellors. She also studied for professional qualifications to support her growing practice.

With more demands on her time, she shifted her goals to focus on quality over quality. Networking became more intentional as she attended conferences and training sessions.

She also looked for ways to spend quality time with her husband and their daughter. Long walks together on Saturdays helped the family bond and enjoy exercise together. She and her 15-year-old daughter Hannah Leong also watch Netflix shows together or enjoy meals out and shopping.

Ms Pong says: “Goals evolve with your circumstances. It helps to be flexible and also to have self-compassion.”

Amid her increased work commitments, she dealt with flares of eczema triggered by stress. The experience made her prioritise her health, including getting a thorough medical check-up and maintaining a daily mindfulness practice before starting work.

She aims to hit the nationally recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week, through runs and strength training.

“I want to hit 150 minutes a week, but I have hit only 120 minutes so far,” she says with a laugh. “That is where self-compassion comes in.”