Should auld aquantaince be forgot....

With the Christmas tree coming down and three days left until the New Year it's time to put such phrases as, "Next Year I'll be better at..." or "I'll start working on that once the holidays are over..." into action. I know...you've all thought about them; New Years Resolution. I think it's a safe bet to say that there is a heath related resolution or two on everyone's list. I think its also safe to say that a lot of the time these are the ones that are quickest to fail...Go to the gym everyday, lose 30 lbs, start an exercise program, stop eating junk, etc. There are endless ways we want to improve ourselves, and big plans that many of us have to "be better next year." Well....make this year the year that it actually happens. Don't just think about it. PUT IT INTO ACTION! You can do it. You really can. Here are a few tips to help you on your way...
-Write it down. A goal that is floating around in your mind is going to quickly be forgotten. Write it down. Commit to it. Sign it.
-Put it somewhere you can see it. Make yourself a sticky-note reminder and put it on your fridge, your mirror, your nightstand; wherever you'll see it and remember it.
-make it feasible. Don't try to make it to the gym every day if your schedule only allows three times a week. Your destining yourself to fail. Evaluate what you really can do, and start small.
-Baby steps. Don't try to eat perfectly, workout three times a day, start yoga, begin a weight lifting program, cut out junk food, all at once. There may be a few of you out there who can keep all those commitments, but chances are one at a time you'll fail at one or two causing you to give up entirely. Pick one thing, focus on it, accomplish it. Pick something else, focus on it, accomplish it. You get the pattern. Lots of baby steps can get you a long way.
-If at first you don't succeed...(you know the rest.) Chances are you'll slip up every now and again. You'll miss a day at the gym, you'll eat that bag of candy, you'll sleep through a morning run. BUT success doesn't come from perfection. More often than not success comes from a series of failings and the willingness to keep on trying. So...KEEP ON TRYING. After all, you really CAN do it.