This time of year many new year’s resolutions have already failed or are failing. Was your new year’s resolution to get healthy? Maybe lose some weight? Get stronger? The fact of the matter is that more than half of all resolutions fail, but this year let’s not have yours be one of them. Here’s advice on how to continue your new year’s resolution or get back on track with it if you are starting to fail.

  1. Be Realistic: Life gets busy. Is your new year’s resolution too extreme? Have you made it beyond your reach that it is too much commitment? It is ok to take a look at your resolution goals and adjust it to better fit with your life now. Be realistic and simplify it. As you reach success then re-evaluate and see if it needs to be adjusted again. By being fluid and giving yourself the right to make changes that are not working, is not failure, it’s being smart about how to make it work for you.
  2. Is it Measurable: If your resolution is not measurable in some way how will you know when it is completed? It is a good idea that your resolution goal also has a clear path, with mini measurable check in points along the way. It can help you to show progress and make the long-term goal more achievable. Break it down to short-term goals, that can be measured daily, weekly, or monthly. If your mini goals are not showing favorable results then you know that you need to adjust and take a look at why.
  3. Make an Investment: If you are serious about getting healthy then this is the time to invest in it. That can be as simple as a new pair of walking shoes, getting a gym membership, or hiring a personal trainer. By investing in yourself you have a higher chance of keeping yourself accountable and not finding an excuse to not put in the work. A personal trainer for example can be an expense, but are pricey health care visits to the doctor down the road going to be cheaper? I think not! Invest in yourself, heck treat yourself to a new workout outfit to make you feel more confident when you workout.
  4. Seek Out Advice: If weight loss is your goal, then seeking out advice from a professional is a good idea. If you have a lot to lose it might be a good idea to check in with a doctor to make sure you know where you are at in your health, what if any limitations you might have. A personal trainer is also an excellent resource to giving you the needed advice to reach your getting healthy goal. Personal trainers also know what can work for different people with different goals.
  5. Schedule Your Time: It is key to find the time and commit to it. It is important to find what works for you and stick to it. Many people find that waking up a hour earlier and getting their workout in and out of the way first thing in the morning is best for them. Not a morning person? Schedule time in your calendar to workout over lunch, or right after work. If you schedule time in your day it will become a habit instead of a chore.
  6. Reward Yourself: Let’s be honest sometimes a little reward along of the way can keep up the motivation. There is nothing wrong with that! Write down your end goal and make up those mini check in points. When you get pass a check in point have a reward written next to it. Maybe it is a mani-pedi, a massage, a new outfit. Whatever floats your boat. Or reward all that hard work by investing more into your fitness routine like a medicine ball, weights for home, or hiring that personal trainer to torch past the next mini goal!

Bottomline, celebrate your successes and do not beat yourself up for failures. If your get healthier new year’s resolution has been long gone, then what is stopping you from picking it back up now? Take this advice; be realistic, make it measurable, make an investment in yourself, seek out proper advice, get your calendar out, and reward yourself along the way. There is no rule that a new year’s resolution has to be only made at the first of the new year.