The Key to New Year's Resolution Success

By: Jeff

Time to get started on those New Year's resolutions...

It is only mid-December, but the new year is right around the corner. Some of you may have already started thinking about possible resolutions for 2015. If you are in that group, good for you! It is never too late to think about ways to improve yourself as the calendar year changes.

Nonetheless, everyone has experienced those New Year's resolutions where by March they are nothing more than a distant memory. That is assuming you made it to March.

So as most people wonder, what is the key to reaching those goals you set for yourself? In my professional opinion, the key is to start early, but before I go any further, a quick re-cap on the age old acronym for setting goals. If you are not familiar, here it is:

S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Reasonable
T - Timely

All of your goals, whether they are physical fitness goals or simply life goals, should fall into the categories above.

After using the S.M.A.R.T. system for creating goals, it is then you focus on starting your goals early. As a trainer you love the new year. Clients come from out of the woodwork wanting to workout, wanting to purchase training sessions and to get kick started on their resolutions. However, those eager clients all fade away in late February/early March and things slowly go back to the way they were.

Why does this happen? Simple. Most people join a gym of some kind, and immediately find it overwhelming. There are huge crowds, machines they aren't sure how to use and the intimidation of the regulars trying to get through their workout in a timely fashion. A lot of pressure for a newbie just trying to get started.

The fix is simple. If the gym atmosphere is the route you want to take, get to your gym as soon as possible and sign up. Get a head start on the new year crowd. By doing so you will allow yourself to get accustomed to the machines, find a workout you are comfortable with and can get the help you need if you are struggling. All before the gym turns into a madhouse.

If the gym isn't where you aspire to be, you should still get to work on those goals early. By working on your goals now, you will not only have a workout plan and routine set in place, but there won't be as much pressure compared to all that accompanies the new year and those resolutions.

Lastly, starting your goals now will only help you power your way through the holiday season. If your long term goal is to drop 50 pounds, you starting a workout program now will help you stay focused and not go on a 3-day binge of cookies, cake and other pastries which could derail your goals before you had a chance to get your feet wet.

The holidays are tough. New Year resolutions don't last.

Be the antithesis to these rules by exercising your way through the holidays and starting the new year already en route to success!