Keep Your New Year's
ResolutionThe New
Year is quickly creeping up on us. Do you have a New Year�s
Resolution? Well, if you�re like most Americans (88 percent in
2001 according to a GNC poll), you have at least one resolution.
And, if you are like the majority of these promise-makers, your
resolution is probably related to health and fitness. In 2001
(according to GNC), 55 percent promised to eat healthier, 50
percent resolved to exercise more, and 38 percent wanted to lose
weight.
While resolutions are
well-intentioned, unfortunately most people fail at keeping them.
With all the hype surrounding these promises, it�s easy to get
caught up in the hype without really taking them seriously.
We live in a throw-away
society and even our resolutions, I�m afraid, are not immune.
However, especially for promises that include improving our
health, it�s in our best interest not to take them lightly.
So, what�s the secret to
successful resolutions? While you can�t wave a magic wand and make
your resolution come true, there are some easy steps to take that
will make it easier to fulfill your promise to yourself.
� Choose an obtainable goal.
Resolving to look like a super model is not realistic for the
majority of us, but promising to include daily physical activity
in our lives is very possible. � Avoid choosing a resolution that
you�ve been unsuccessful at achieving year after year. This will
only set you up for failure, frustration and disappointment. If
you are still tempted to make a promise that you�ve made before,
then try altering it. For example, instead of stating that you are
going to lose 30 pounds, try promising to eat healthier and
increase your weekly exercise. � Create a game plan. At the
beginning of January, write a comprehensive plan. All successful
businesses start with a business plan that describes their mission
and specifics on how they will achieve it. Write your own personal
plan and you�ll be more likely to succeed as well. � Break it down
and make it less intimidating. Rather than one BIG end goal,
dissect it into smaller pieces. Set several smaller goals to
achieve throughout the year that will help you to reach the
ultimate goal. Then, even if you aren�t able to reach your final
goal, you will have many smaller, but still significant,
achievements along the way. For example, if your goal is to
complete a 10K race, your smaller goals could be running a 5K in
less than 30 minutes, adding upper and lower body strength
training to increase your muscular endurance, and running 2 miles
with a personal best completion time. � Ask friends and family
members to help you so you have someone to be accountable to. Just
be sure to set limits so that this doesn�t backfire and become
more irritating than helpful. For example, if you resolve to be
more positive ask them to gently remind you when you start talking
negatively.
� Reward yourself with each
milestone. If you�ve stuck with your resolution for 2 months,
treat yourself to something special. But, be careful of your
reward type. If you�ve lost 5 pounds, don�t give yourself a piece
of cake as an award. Instead, treat yourself to something non-food
related, like a professional massage. � Don�t go it alone! Get
professional assistance. Everyone needs help and sometimes a
friend just isn�t enough. Sometimes you need the help of a trained
professional. Don�t feel that seeking help is a way of copping
out. Especially when it comes to fitness, research studies have
shown that assistance from a fitness professional greatly improves
people�s success rate. � Limit your number of promises. You�ll
spread yourself too thin trying to make multiple changes in your
life. This will just lead to failure of all of the resolutions.
On average only about 20% of us
keep our New Year�s resolutions. Unfortunately, some of the
biggest failures are found in fitness resolutions. But don�t let
the statistics get you down. By following the tips above you�ll be
better equipped to fall into the successful 20% category. If you
need professional help with a fitness-related resolution, visit