5 Ways To Restore Your New Year’s Resolution

We are now in March 2014, two months into the New Year. If you are like the majority of individuals who marked the 1st of January with a resolution or two, you’re either on your way to a better you, or feeling guilty as your life looks similar to how it did on December 31. If nothing has changed since last year, should you give up and throw in the towel – or salvage your good intentions with a better plan of attack? I’d suggest the latter of the two.

Many people make New Year’s resolutions, but who will adhere to them? Many times they end up as a fast track to a feeling of discouragement and reduced self-esteem.  We create a laundry list of goals that we should have been hitting throughout the year, and instead saved them up and put them off for “the right time.”

Long-term success and accomplishment is based off of habits and continuous improvements, not a complete lifestyle overhaul at the beginning of a new year. Let’s be real – it’s pretty simple to set out and start the New Year with good intentions and a list of goals but following through is what counts. There has to be an emotional attachment to your goal. Trying to live up to everything on that list may just not be realistic. Change takes time and persistence.

Here are five ways you can go about restoring or sticking to your New Year’s resolution –

Turn Your Resolutions Into Specific Goals.

As a health and fitness coach I often hear “I want to get in shape”, or “I want to start eating healthy”, or even “I am going to join the gym” –  these are all great intentions, but they are vague and far too general. What does getting in shape mean? Does healthy mean low carb, fad diets, and juice fasts? You want to join the gym, but to do what exactly? What’s important is to have a well thought out plan that is realistic and specific.

• Make your goal measurable, how much weight do you actually want to lose?

• Choose a goal that is meaningful and important to you and not everyone else.

• Adapt your goals to fit changing circumstances according to your lifestyle.

Treat your training like a business meeting.

Once you have your goals identified, plan out what you actually have to do each day or week to achieve the goals you set. Set a time and stick to it. You may find it much easier to get to the gym during definite time periods if they are already factored into your calendar. Just as you would book an appointment for an important event, do the same with your workout – know your training session before getting into the gym.

Hold Yourself Accountable

When trying to overcome certain obstacles, sometimes having the support of another individual, especially with similar goals is very beneficial. Select responsible and supportive people to share your failed resolution with, and they can create positive pressure to keep you motivated and encouraged.

Stop Trying To Do Too Much

Let’s face it. We LOVE lists.

1. Writing things down on stickies

2. Creating reminders on our computers

3. Making notes in our smartphones

See what I did there? These things help keep us on track. We all create “To-Do” lists of things we need to get done but what about creating a “Stop Doing This” list. I am sure whether or not your schedule was packed from morning to night there were plenty of days where you said to yourself, “there is not enough time in a day”. But did you actually sit down and find where that time was being spent?

Trying to do too much can lead to a reduction in quality and less satisfaction.  One of the most important and precious resources we have is time. Take some time and write down a list of things you do that “waste time” when you can be productive. It will help you maintain balance and sanity and help you avoid feeling so overwhelmed!

Don’t Give Up Just Yet

It’s pretty easy to just say, “I quit”. Are you a failure if you made a commitment and couldn’t stick to it? Absolutely not. You are only a failure when you stop trying. Maybe you created too many resolutions, maybe they weren’t specific enough or maybe they just weren’t realistic. Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward.

Reevaluate your resolutions and turn them into lifestyle changes. If you throw in the towel now, you will find yourself in the same spot next year, making the exact same resolution and ultimately spinning your wheels. Take control of your life – if you are tired of starting over, stop giving up!

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[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://d39cy8ulqxbvhv.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Screen-Shot-2014-03-11-at-10.40.22-AM.png[/author_image] [author_info]I am an Online Fitness and Nutrition Coach from the Long Island, NY area committed to helping people look, feel and perform their best. Over the past several years I have helped thousands of people achieve and surpass their fitness and health goals, and I am driven to help you live the life you want.

I have created hundreds of YouTube videos with millions of views to help inspire, educate and motivate. I like to challenge and encourage my clients to surpass their self-imposed limits, and grow stronger both physically and mentally.

There is a lot of noise in the fitness industry, and it’s hard to know who and what to believe, so I created my own brand. Fusaro Fitness is a one stop shop for everything related to training, nutrition and motivation without all of the limitations and restrictions that traditional “diets” and “fitness routines” place on your life. I’m here to help, but it all starts with YOU.[/author_info] [/author]