The New Year can bring hope to those seeking a positive change in their lives. January acts as a starting point for improvement, however all too often, resolutions end up in failure and the positive benefits that could have been realized are never seen. This doesn't happen due to a lack of desire, rather poor planning is to blame. Even the best of intentions need to be pushed along by good organization.

Realistic Goals

The most important step in having a successful New Year's Resolution is to draw up realistic goals. If you're planning on losing 30 pounds in time for Valentine's Day, forget about it. A New Year's Resolution is all about reworking your lifestyle to eliminate unhealthy habits. This doesn't always come easily, especially if you've been practicing these unhealthy habits for long periods of time. Going from a sedentary, junk food eating life on December 31st to an exercising health nut on January 1st isn't realistic. All the steps you need to take are sometimes too much to handle (both physically and mentally) in such a short period of time. If you set a goal that is too ambitious, you'll soon realize how many sacrifices need to be made. Setting a realistic goals (example: losing 10 pounds by Valentine's Day) will make your life a lot easier and increase your chances for success.

Make a Plan

If you're only casually thinking about completing your resolution, you'll fail. For a resolution to work, you need to think about a plan. How do you plan on making weight loss a reality? How do you plan on getting into shape? Make yourself a list of foods to buy, create an exercise routine and sign a resolution contract (instructions on how to prepare a resolution plan can be found below by clicking on the New Year's Resolution Guide). Putting your plan into writing will help you think about what's required to succeed. You will be less surprised by how much work is involved in changing yourself and more likely to find solutions to all the problems that come up rather than quitting at the first sign of trouble.

Clear Goals with Targets

Included in your written resolution plan should be clear goals with targets. Avoid open ended goals such as being healthy or getting into shape. These vague goals have no clear end date which could get frustrating if you're looking for results. Instead, set up a goal that has targets. Aim to run a mile in at least 8 minutes or lose 5 pounds by the end of the month. These goals are smaller than getting healthy or into shape but you'll be 100% sure when you've accomplished them which will allow you to build confidence and tackle even bigger goals later on.

Smaller Goals First

When making more than one New Year's Goal, start with the smaller ones first. These goals are easier to complete and being able to cross them off your list will give you the confidence to go after the bigger and harder ones. If you start with the harder goals, the amount of work you have to do may overwhelm you causing you to rethink all of your resolutions. The smaller goals will help you get used to the changes you'll need to make to your lifestyle.

You Will Fall

Don't expect an easy ride. The reason why resolutions readily fail is because people quit too soon. At the first 'bump' people think they've already failed and go back to their old ways. Even the healthiest of people don't stay healthy 100% of the time. Being healthy and in shape isn't about constantly exercising or eating healthy foods. It's about realizing that some unhealthy habits are welcome in a lifestyle filled with otherwise healthy ones. You can slip up every once in a while as long as you stay healthy most of the time. Don't quit your resolution the first time you don't feel like working out. Take a break, wake up the next day and get back to accomplishing your goal.

Get Help From Friends and Family

It's almost guaranteed that you're not the only one in your circle of friends and family that has a resolution. If you start asking around, you'll find a few people that have similar goals. Find these people and work together to achieve them. You can go grocery shopping, exercise and talk about the problems you're facing together. The same resolutions will encounter the same problems. Having a group of people you know will help you get through them and give you a better shot at succeeding.

For more information, visit the New Year's Resolution Guide. Need a free workout routine with no strings attached??