Give Your New Years Resolution A Fighting Chance

A resolution, resolving to complete a course of action determined or decided on, by definition is not a New Years act alone - yet this one time of year seems to stir our resolve more than others. The chance at a new beginning and the thought that a new year brings with it renewed hope steels us for a battle that we dare not attempt at other times of the year. But are our resolutions really that difficult to achieve? Not with a little planning and understanding.

As a personal trainer with over 15 years' experience I have mentored hundreds of people through resolutions the year through and I have found three key components to meeting resolutions with success, whether they occur at New Year or any other time throughout the year. Whether you have set yourself to lose weight, give up smoking, save money or spend more time with family and friends your focus should be to:

1. Set a realistic goal
2. Give your goal a tangible value
3. Have an understanding of failure

Set Yourself A Realistic Goal

You truly have to believe that your goal is achievable, and the good news is, mostly any goal is. The human body and brain are amazing things with almost anything they dedicate themselves to achievable. For YOUR goal to be achievable for YOU however, you will need to be honest with yourself about what sacrifices you are willing to make in order to achieve your goal. You ARE capable of losing 30 pounds in the next 6 months (and you should always set yourself a time frame), but if you are not willing to make the sacrifice required to achieve this goal then your goal is no longer realistic.

Also, the more 'out of the ballpark' you set your goal, you will need to set yourself targets along the way - if you are going to clear the fences you must first hit the ball and clear the infield.

Give Your Goal A Tangible Value

In order for you to keep the motivation to see your resolution through you have to provide it with a tangible value. I have found that merely wanting to lose weight often ends in failure, however weight loss in order to live longer and see children grow up, fit into that wedding dress, or overcome diabetes gives a tangible reason to WHY you want to lose weight. The same tangibles can (and should) be found for every resolution you make - smoking fits nicely with longevity (but also money saving), while financial success and saving money can have a tangible value of a house purchase, new car, holiday or even a new dress. Keep your eyes on these tangibles and you will provide yourself more commitment for the cause.

Have An Understanding Of Failure

Sometimes mistakes happen. Genuine mistakes (not the kind where you say to yourself 'it's OK if I have that piece of cheesecake, I'll make up for it tomorrow', but those for which you have either inadvertently dropped your guard or you simply cannot avoid) can occur and you need to be prepared. This point is about understanding the mistake, not accepting it.

There are two key elements to surviving these mistakes:

1. Understand that mistakes can and do happen
2. Do not drop your bundle

Your success now relies on what you do next. The most common (and incorrect) feeling when a chink arises is one of guilt and failure which is quickly followed by the thought that either you cannot achieve your goal so why try, or that you have already made the blunder today so you may as well splurge and get back on the horse tomorrow.

Both of these will set your resolution back remarkably. Your only course of action here is to understand that you have hit the glitch, recalibrate and focus on each aspect of your goal (your main goal, your stepping stone and your tangible) and get straight back to task - no exceptions.

Conclusion

I usually subscribe to the theory that if you want or need something bad enough then waiting for a trigger point (your birthday, next Monday, tomorrow or New Year) is not good enough. If you have a resolution to make, make it today, but given we are so close to New Year you really have no excuses. Today is the perfect time. You have something in mind you need to achieve in the next year, 6 months, 3 months or week, so set your goals and get to it. You have the tools at your disposal, and help for a worthy resolution is always close by. Don't be afraid to use it.

Turning Your Phase Into A Way Of Life!