If you have not set your New Year’s resolution yet, it’s not too late to start one today! If you’ve already given up on the resolution you set, read this! We have 6 steps to help you succeed.
Step 1. Make it SMART
The number one reason New Year’s resolutions do not last is that they are not practical. Goals need to be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound. If you need more help setting SMART goals see our article. A resolution is not something you should make up on the spot five minutes before midnight after having a fair share of bubbly drinks, you need to have a good think about it. Set yourself a goal that can be reached, and that is something you really want to do to keep you motivated.
Step 2. Make it real
First of all, pick up one of our goal setting fridge magnets at the studio or download one from the below links.
New Year goal setting fridge magnet back
New Year goal setting fridge magnet front
Putting your goals and steps to success in writing make it tangible, it’s no longer just an idea in your head, it’s out in the real world on a piece of paper and waiting for steps to be taken. Having your own hand-written steps to success stare back at you every time you open the fridge can make a big difference, keeping it fresh in your mind and keeping it real.
Step 3. Make a plan
A goal without a plan is just a dream. It’s important that you have a plan in place that will help you to achieve your goal. It’s no good having a goal of running a marathon, without having any idea of how to train for running a marathon. You need to decide what type of training you will do, how often, where, with whom and for how long. Once you have made your plan, put on your fridge magnet, in your planner and stick to it!
Step 4. Be accountable
If you have no-one checking on your progress, it’s very easy to just miss your sessions, cheat on your nutrition or delay your goal if things start to feel a bit too hard. Having someone like a workout buddy or a Personal Trainer holding you accountable is incredibly helpful make you keep going even on the days you’re not feeling like it. If you know they’ll be meeting you at the gym, or giving you a call to see where you are – you’re much less likely to skip, and if your friends know you have a nutrition goal, they’ll be a bit more understanding if you make different food choices when you go out together! Show your friends and family what you wrote on your goal setting sheet, or even better take a pic and post it on Facebook.
Step 5. Measure your progress
It’s important that you know where you are starting, in order to measure your progress. If your goal is weight loss, you need to know what your starting weight is. If you have a performance goal like a certain number of push ups, you need to know how many you can do now! And if you want to change the way you look, it’s a good idea to take pictures and/or measurements so you can see changes as they happen. It’s a good idea to re-evaluate every 6-8 weeks and make sure you’re on track, and seeing progress will keep you motivated!
Step 6. Be consistent
Health and fitness need to be a way of life. If you can’t fit your diet and exercise routine into your daily work and family life, then it’s not going to work in the long term. Start small, focus on just one or two small changes at a time, and once they have become a part of your weekly routine, then you can look at changing something else. It has to be sustainable for the long term. Short term programs give you short term results, and then you’ll go right t back to where you started. Even on weeks where you’re lacking motivation, keep plugging away at it, consistency pays off!