We have now officially welcomed 2012 and whilst many of us have said our new year resolutions out loud, statistically not all of us have stuck to it ans it has only been 11days! The new year is certainly a great time to reflect on the previous year and make new goals but perhaps labelling these goals as your new year resolution is risky.

Instead of feeling the pressure to have your 2012 goals sorted out by the 1st of Jan i would suggest give it a little more time. Wait for a time that is right for you and one when you will be completely ready for the change, mentally and physically. This might mean that is is best to get into action once you are back into your daily routine.

So if you have already struggled taking the first steps towards your new year goals then take a few steps back and follow some simple tips below:

1. Wish or Commit?

Determine if your resolution or goal is a real commitment you are willing to take or just simply a wish. You cannot rely on external forces to make this happen you have to have commitment, accountability and follow a plan. You are responsible for making it happen!

2. Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail.

To achieve anything there needs to be a plan in place. A plan will help you take the right steps towards success. You can have others assist you with your plan if you need help but it should be simple, realistic and purposeful. 

3. Accountability a must.

We all have our moments of weakness where the goal seems to become unachievable or getting there just seems too tough. At these times you can risk letting go altogether. You really need to consider how you will hold yourself accountable to carry out the plan. It might be in the form of using other people to help you or a system you come up with on your own but you will need it. Perhaps set some deadlines along the way of when shorter term goals have to be met in order for the long term goal to be achieved. 

Whatever the case there is nothing more rewarding than achieving something you really wanted to achieve. The more challenging the goal the more rewarding it is to successfully achieve it. As humans we need this in our lives to be happy, satisfied, positive and to keep our motivation strong. You definitely won't regret the hard work once it gets you to where you want to be.

Keep this in mind, have a real purpose to your goal, know why it is important to you and get out there and get it done!

Angela Saville
Savvy Fitness