Your 2013 New Year's Resolution - What Happened?

You're Not Alone

Despite your best intentions, things didn't work out in 2013 - and you're out of time to fulfill your resolution. Don't feel bad - studies show that only 8% of resolutions succeed; in fact, recent surveys show that almost 50% of folks who make resolutions never even get started. Typical fitness resolutions usually look like this:

• Lose Weight
• Eat Better
• Get Stronger
• Get Faster

Do these sound familiar? They should - and you've come to the right place for advice on fulfilling your 2014 resolution.

Don't Lose Hope

Despite high failure rates, making a New Year's Resolution is an excellent way to energize both your overall fitness / wellness goals and training. Read on to find out how to keep your commitment from going in one year and out the other.

Your 2014 New Year's Resolution - A Breakthrough

Follow these important points to make your goals more attainable.

Set The Goal

The first and most important step - setting your fitness goal. Use these important tips to create your resolution:

• Choose a goal that you greatly desire. Your goal should speak to you - make a meaningful commitment that isn't framed from an outsider's perspective. You've gotta want it - listen to your heart and choose the most self-satisfying goal.
• Focus. Exclude unreasonable goals that could distract and dilute your commitment. In other words, keep your eyes on the prize.
• Be specific. Replace ambiguous goals with exact definitions that demonstrate what your idea of success will look like.
  • Example: instead of "Swim More", refine your goal to one that allows planning and measurement , such as "Swim 3 days a week at Recplex on Monday's, Wednesdays, and Fridays after work."

Share Your Goal

Formalize your resolution in a formal announcement. Making your intentions public deepens your promise, adds personal accountability, and rallies support from your network. Bonus - Be Social: Are you annoyed by workout bragging on Facebook? It's not about boasting - it's about support. Throw down your commitment on Facebook or Twitter and begin to celebrate your accomplishments. Sharing your interests is also a great way to build a training group, making your commitment more fun - and achievable.

Make A Plan

Create a plan that supports your resolution, including a series of smaller steps that describe exactly what is required to hit your goal. Bonus - Log Your Progress: Logging your achievements helps you refine your plan to focus on meeting (or beating) your resolution.

Position Yourself For Success

Keeping a commitment is hard work - don't make it more difficult than it has to be. Follows these tips to position yourself for success with your new fitness goals:

• Be Comfortable:
  • Use comfortable athletic apparel designed to support the task at hand.
  • Replace worn gear before it fails and destroys your workout.
  • Swimmer Bonus: Comfy swimmers are happy swimmers - read my post on learning how to warm up in a cold pool.
• Be Prepared: Getting out of bed early is much easier if your gear is ready to go. Pack your workout bag the night before and lay out clothing and shoes to make the transition from bed quick and less daunting.
• Automate: Set your alarm, program your coffee maker, and set up auto-draft for your sportsplex membership fees. Pre-configure anything that is used to support your goal.

Learn From Mistakes & Don't Give Up

• Nobody's Perfect: You'll encounter setbacks along the way. Don't beat yourself up - it's part of the path to success. Don't scrap your resolution over a blown workout or snooze-bar overdose. Keep working towards your resolution and try to identify the conditions that contributed to your missteps.
• Bonus: Surviving mistakes made along the way will distinguish success from failure. Making a lifestyle change that surrounds the goal is the true mark of progress - your self-control will develop along your journey.

Good luck my friends and Happy New Year. Let me know if you're taking on new (or old) challenges for 2014. Thanks, Robin