How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolution

by John Fontana in Health on January 5th, 2010

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The New Year is official here and I can guarantee that the majority of people have some sort of fitness related resolution. Most likely is to lose weight, but it may also be to get in the gym more often, start eating healthier, stack on some muscle or reduce your body fat percentage.

Resolutions are great because they establish goals for us to accomplish in the upcoming year. My problem with them is that by the time we get out of January, most everyone has forgot about theirs.

In order to avoid entering 2011 with the same resolution you had this year, there are some simple steps you need to take in order to accomplish that resolution. These tips are all exercise/diet related but I bet you can apply them to just about any resolution you have.

The Written Word

Right now, I want you to open up a Word or Pages document and type your resolution in. Make the text as big as you can and print out three copies. The first copy you will place near your computer, the second on your bathroom mirror, and the third on your fridge. You need to consciously and subconsciously see your end goal every single day and this is the best way to do it.

Tell the World

I want you to e-mail, text, call or personally tell at least 3 people you see every single day, and tell them what your resolution is. Tell them to hold you accountable for this resolution and ask you from time to time how it’s going.

Baby Steps

Although your resolution may seem like a daunting task right now, if you break it down correctly it will seem easy. If you want to lose 20 pounds before 2011 than break it down into small blocks. Plan on losing a pound every two weeks. That seems pretty easy and if you stick to it you will even reach your goal a few weeks before 2010 ends. Make checkpoints in your calendar of where you want to be every 3 or 4 months.

Buddy Up

Teaming up with a friend or family member will make accomplishing your resolution a lot easier. If they share the same (or similar) goal you guys can hold each other accountable and work together. Hit the gym and go grocery shopping together, suddenly things will get easier. Misery loves company, right?

Cash In (Or Out)

What is something that you want really bad but won’t buy for yourself? A Kindle or iPod, shoes or a handbag? Figure out how much it costs and give that money to someone you can trust. Tell them at the end of the year if you reach your goal, they need to buy that item for you. If you don’t, they can keep the cash. I bet you’ll reach that goal now.

Thinking of a resolution is easy; the hard part is following through with it. Follow these steps and you won’t find it nearly as hard and you will be able to move on to a new resolution next year.

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John Fontana

John Fontana is a fitness professional and entrepreneur living in Los Angeles, Ca. He has worked with many top NFL and MLB athletes, as well as training some top celebrities. He founded Shadow Fit which provides personalized workouts and is set out to change the fitness industry.

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http://www.camandcheese.com dave

Wow. I really never thought of that last step. That would definitely make you want to stick with your resolution or there goes a couple hundred bucks or more. Another thing though would be to make sure your friend would be willing to accept that money if you fail. Waiting a year for your prize may be a long time.

Me and my friends are actually doing a buddy system and calling this year a Resolutionary year. Too bad, we haven’t set our resolutions yet.

Great points.
http://rant.computator.ca Will

I will try the written word this year, usually post it notes do it for me, but I find I end up chucking it out along with the other notes I leave myself throughout the year.
http://www.shadowfit.com/ John Fontana

Will,
Yeah I put up a big piece of paper by my computer, on my mirror in the bathroom and on the fridge. Its not the most aesthetically pleasing image to have around your house but it gets the job done. It is easy to overlook a sticky but not so easy to overlook an 8×11.
http://www.shadowfit.com/ John Fontana

Dave,
Yeah thats great to work with friends like that and get a buddy system going. You dont necessarily have to wait a year to get the prize, just until you accomplish your resolution. Its good motivation to work even harder so that you can get your prize earlier.

I like the Resolutionary year idea. Thats clever.
-JF
http://brealfeel.blogspot.com Etrapar

oh, I’ve recorded a nice movie with my resolution and I watch it whenever I want. But now if I think at it, I realize that I could also make a screensaver ^.^
http://www.shadowfit.com/ John Fontana

Etrapar,
Motivated! I like it. You might as well make a screen saver thats a great idea. The more you see it in a different visual the better. The movie is really awesome too. Congrats, your making big steps already.

Whats your resolution?
-JF