Tips for Making Your Resolution Stick

Stick To It

New Year?s Day is practically upon us and that means that nearly half of you will be making a resolution to begin a healthier lifestyle in the coming year.? Unfortunately, for one reason or another, many of those resolutions won?t stick past the first few months of the year and many will be abandoned within a few short weeks.

If you?d like your resolution to not only last past January fifteenth, but to stick until you?ve actually achieved your goal, give these tips a try.

Define Your Goal

Make em stick this year

Don?t wait until 11:45 on New Year?s Eve, after the beer and Champagne have been flowing for a few hours, to spout out half a dozen things that you hope you could make happen in the coming year.? If you actually want to stick to your resolution make it as clearly defined as possible.

Don?t make your resolution to ?lose weight,? make it to ?lose twenty pounds by June 1^st.?? It?s much easier to develop a sound strategy and to clearly monitor your progress if you?ve got actual numbers and dates determined instead of just vague ideas.

Don?t Go Overboard

It?s great to want to create the best body that you can, but quite a few resolutions fail because they just aren?t realistically achievable during the allotted time.? Sure it would be nice to be able to bench press 300 pounds or have a fully defined six pack by the middle of February, but if you aren?t already benching around 290 or close to single digits in body fat percentage those goals probably aren?t very realistic.

Nothing can make you want to give up more than being nowhere near your goal as the set deadline approaches.? It might not be quite as glamorous to just add ten pounds to your bench or to just lose one pants size, but keep in mind that a minor success is better than a major failure any day.

If You Can?t Figure It Out, Get Help

Some health related goals may be beyond your realm of expertise, but that doesn?t necessarily mean that you won?t be able to achieve them.? If you are having trouble making progress toward a realistic goal, seek out some professional help.? Consult a doctor, dietitian or a nutritionist or hire a personal trainer to provide you with the game plan that you need to make progress toward your goal.

Don?t make the mistake of asking your friends and family members for advice, unless of course they are health professionals.? If you are having difficulty making progress toward the goal on your own, odds are you won?t get too much further by listening to the advice of a friend or coworker who doesn?t have any more knowledge on the topic than you do.

Don?t Let Life Get in the Way of Your Goal

Even the best road maps can lead to detours.? If you?ve set a realistic goal and something has temporarily gotten in the way of you achieving it, there?s no need to abandon your pursuit.? Minor injuries, illnesses and changes in jobs or work schedules can all lead to disruptions in progress, but with the right amount of focus and determination you should be able to quickly get back on track to the pursuit of your goal.

Just because an occasional obstacle will crop up and slow you down, it doesn?t mean that you?ve got to let it stop you.? The greatest physical specimens in the world suffer set backs all the time, what makes them great is their ability to bounce back from whatever adversity happens to halt their progress with an even greater focus on achieving their goal.