Conquer
Your New Year’s Resolutions:
Reach the Weight Loss and Fitness Level
You Desire
The time for setting New Year’s resolutions is here once again, but do
you really want to set “goals” that inevitably you are not going to keep? That
perpetual cycle of setting goals, having a hard time following through with the
goal, and then finally giving up on actually achieving the goal is
disheartening at best, diminishing to your self-confidence and self-worth at
worst. That’s why this year, you are going to follow these simple steps to
liberate yourself from the downward spiral of New Year’s Resolution defeat and
finally achieve success!
Are you ready for success, confidence, empowerment, more energy, and
happiness? Great! Read on!
Step 1
Pick one issue to tackle, not many. Picking multiple goals to achieve
can be challenging, and when life gets extra busy or stressful, probably at
least one (if not multiple) of your goals will go out the window.
Step 2
Set realistic goals. Although it would be great to lose those twenty
pounds in a few weeks, it simply isn’t realistic. Setting too high of
expectations is essentially setting yourself up for failure. Remember, it took
you time to get to the state that you are in, it is going to take time to get
back out of it.
Step 3
Be specific. In order to achieve a goal it has to measured. This way
you know whether you are staying on track, or need to make adjustments. Some
examples are: “I want to lose a pound a week” or “I want to attend three
fitness classes each week”.
Step 4
Tell people about your goal. The act of telling others, especially
those that you care about (friends, colleagues, family) instantly creates
accountability. After all, all of those individuals will now not only be
watching your progress, but they will be asking you about it. This means that
when you are tempted to slack off, you will know you have all those sets of
eyes paying attention; fear of public humiliation can be very big motivator and
it just might be the very thing that keeps you going all the way to achieve
your success. Hint: Ask your friends and colleagues to be positive and
encouraging…you don’t need any nay-sayers in your path.
Step 5
Get a coach or a trainer; you will need a cheerleader. One of the
things I hear most often is “I almost didn’t come tonight but I knew that if I
didn’t, I’d be getting a call from you”. Having a coach or trainer there by
your side creates accountability and will help to keep you on track. In
addition, a coach will help push you to go farther and achieve more than you
would, or thought you even could, on your own.
However, in order for this to work, you can’t merely just go to a group
class or anonymous work-out (they won’t know if you come or not). Instead, you
need a place where there is a strong relationship between the instructor and
the students; you will respect them more, get more out of the class, and show
up more often.
Step 6
Know the benefits of achieving your goal. You need to know what you
will specifically be able to do when you achieve your goal. Such as: “I will be able to wear my ‘skinny’
jeans” or “I will be able to run around the playground with my
(grand)children”, . Make a “vision board”, put up pictures, talk to your
friends, and make plans to take advantage of the benefits of your success!
Step 7
Have fun! Let’s be honest, we have countless things pulling for our
time, and if we are bored or even just dislike what we are doing to reach our
goals, we are not going to sustain that activity. We have to have fun, laugh,
be around good people and places, and relieve stress. Find a program that will
bring you joy and comradary, while still being challenging.
Step 8
Give yourself time; forge through setbacks. To have lasting benefits
you will need to make lifestyle changes; make your goal a part of who you are.
This is why it is essential to enjoy what you are doing and have a positive
support group. Become the person who inspires others and you will experience
the benefits of your success tenfold.
Have this year be your year; achieve a better, happier, and healthier
life and will reap benefits for years to come.
Follow these steps and conquer your New Year’s resolutions!
