New Year's Resolution?

How many of you set New Year's Resolutions? Now, how many of you are frustrated year in and year out because you never keep them? You probably have great intentions but have found that sometimes you have poor follow through. Here are several ways to keep your New Year's Resolutions and stop feeling guilty for letting yourself down.

Be SMART! Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely

Your goals must be Specific and and Measurable. What is it that you want to accomplish? Is it to lose weight, how much? Is it to lose body fat, how much? Maybe you just want to be in better cardiovascular shape. Get a Heart Rate Monitor so you can measure improvements. (more on HR Monitors later) Maybe you want to complete a 100 mile bike ride. (you know who I'm talking to) Maybe a triathlon. Whatever your goal, make it specific and measurable.

Your goals also have to be Attainable. You probably won't set a goal to win the Tour de France this year right? However, there are many challenges that you can achieve with your current skill set. Find something that you really want to accomplish that is in the realm of your capabilities. Don't sell yourself short. Set your goal just beyond your current level of ability. Challenge yourself but make sure it is attainable.

Be for real! Be Realistic! This is very similar to attainable. You are the only one that can determine how high your goal should be. It can be very high and realistic at the same time. A high goal is often easier to achieve than a low goal because low goals bring low motivation. Your challenge or goal must be equal to or just beyond your skills or else you will be board. There has to be a balance.

Lastly, your goal must be timely. When do you want to see results? With no time frame there is no sense of urgency. If your goal is to lose 10lbs, "whenever" is not good enough. You have to set a specific date or else the chances of you achieving this goal is highly unlikely. You need a time frame.

So, it's not to late to set New Year's Resolutions. I actually don't like referring to goals as New Year's Resolutions but I thought it would make for a better story. You can set goals anytime of the year and you probably should. So, what are you waiting on? Set some goals and be SMART about it.