2011 is coming to and end and 2012 is on the horizon. Every year around this time, amongst the partying and celebrations, we make goals to lose weight, tone our bodies, improve our health, quit smoking, cut back on the alcohol, you name it, it’s been set as a new year’s resolution before.

Now this is a website dedicated to health and fitness. And for the purpose of this article the tips and tricks will be focused towards achieving health and fitness goals. But each tip is applicable to all goals and all aspects of your life.

So, what are your goals for the new year? Let me ask you, and let’s be honest, have you tried to achieve these goals before and not reached them? If this is you, don’t be disheartened. Decide to continue towards your goals until they are reached and follow the tips and guidelines below to reach your new year’s resolutions in 2011!

Tip #1: Long Term Mindset

When looking to lose weight, start an exercise program or begin to eat well, the first thing I recommend my clients to do is to adopt a long term mindset. This means that the way that you lose the weight has to be sustainable, enjoyable and healthy in order for you to be able to maintain the weight loss long term. Some trainers say there are no quick fixes - I disagree, there are quick fixes but they are only temporary. Do you want to be slim, fit and healthy for a couple of weeks? No, you want to be slim, fit and healthy for the rest of your life! So the first step is to think long term and plan everything in accordance to that mindset.

Tip #2: Forget about ‘New Year’s Resolutions’

Ok, I get that it seems weird to forget about new year’s resolutions when that is the topic of this article. What I mean by this is to forget about the festive, artificial and temporary nature of it the holiday season. This all leads back to thinking long term. Think about it. When you are setting and starting a New Year’s resolution you are likely on holiday with much more spare time than usual, you are probably very relaxed and have high expectations for your goals (which you should of course) and you are likely feeling guilty about indulging just a little too much in all the christmas goodies. All of this adds up to setting unrealistic goals and unrealistic plans. I have seen too many people fall short of their new year’s goals because they went flat out during the holidays, only to realise that once they went back to work they had far less time available to exercise and subsequently quit thinking they had failed their ‘new year’s’ resolution.

There are two ways to fix this. The first comes down to designing a sustainable and effective training program that works in with your schedule. If you feel you can do this yourself go ahead, but if you are like most people and want the assurance that it is done right, look for a personal trainer.

The second factor is to change the way you think about your new year’s resolution. Instead of it being a time when you set unrealistic goals and quit trying to achieve them within two weeks of the new year, try a different approach. Instead, they are goals that you are working towards in the new year. This removes the festive nature of new year’s resolutions and instead gives them a more serious and, once again, long term nature.

Tip #3: Have an effective plan

Put simply you have to be confident that you can and will achieve your goals. The best way to be confident is to know what you are doing is working. Without ‘tooting my own horn’ I believe that this is one of the main benefits I, as a personal trainer, bring to my clients. When you have someone whose sole goal is to ensure you achieve your own goals, you are more likely to truly believe you will achieve your goals. And when you are confident you work harder. You stay consistent. And in the end you achieve your goals! 

For some the idea of trying to figure out such questions as how and when to exercise, when and what to eat, when they should weigh themselves, how fast they should lose weight, whether they are doing the right or wrong thing, the list goes on...it can all just be too much of a hassle. My job is to answer all these questions so that all my clients have to do is enjoy the process and, even more so, enjoy the results!

Tip #4: Be consistent

Time to be honest. The time it will take for you to reach your ideal weight, fitness level and health will depend on your starting point. If you only have a couple of kilograms to lose then you can achieve this goal relatively quickly and still in a healthy manner. If you have more like 40 or 50 kilograms of weight to lose it won’t be an overnight fix. I don’t claim to offer instant results, but what I do offer are results, and sustainable ones at that. No matter how much weight you have to lose it can be done. And at times it may even be quicker than you think. It is human nature to overestimate what can be done in the short term, and underestimate what can be done in the long term.

The key is to be consistent. Some weeks you will feel like you have lost a ton of weight, you will feel great and motivation will be through the roof. Take advantage of these times. Other times you may feel sluggish and less motivated. It doesn’t mean you are not making progress. In fact, if you are sticking to your plan (provided it is an effective plan!) I can guarantee you are making progress. Remember that consistency is key and results add up. 

Putting It All Together

The statistics for successful new year’s resolutions are quite low. The trick is to continue pushing through at times when others would quit. When motivation is strong it is easy to work hard - enjoy these times and make the most of them. When motivation wanes is when the challenge arises. Pushing through these times is what makes the difference. Whether it is completing a workout you didn’t feel like doing or resisting the temptation of a calorie packed treat, doing so will result in rewards.  This is how you achieve your health and fitness goals in the new year. Remember, the most important workout is the one you don’t want to do.  And nothing tastes as good as looking good feels!

So remember to think long term, be confident and stick to an effective plan in order to reach your health and fitness goals in 2011. I wish you a happy new year, and to my clients, I look forward to being there when you achieve and surpass all your goals for 2011!