Do it right in 2014! Goal setting and New Year's Resolutions...

The time is swiftly approaching where we all start thinking about our achievements of 2013 and what we could have done better. Firstly I'd like to mention that you shouldn't see anything as a failure, look at it as a learning curve and what you can do now to help you achieve those goals. Every year we all set a New Year's Resolution, and every year we get off to a cracking start; think determined, motivation, success, focus etc... But give it a few months and a fall off the wagon and we soon start feeling demotivated, unhealthy, lazy and angry with ourselves for failing. If your motivation starts to fade come February, March, April, ask yourself why? Has life become too busy? Are you stressed at work or home? Financial reasons? Have you been poorly and unable to continue working towards your goals? Life does get in the way, it chucks a whole lot of rubbish right at us and we're not always able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you fall down, get back up and brush yourself off, start again slowly and try not to dwell on the bad times (they happen to everyone). Think about how you can begin to work around these obsticles.

Also make sure you are setting sensible goals, so bear this in mind if you're looking at setting your New Year's Resolution within the next couple of weeks. Whether it's giving up chocolate for ever (could you honestly do that) or just for a month (to prove you have self discipline and control). Giving up smoking cold turkey, or using other methods? Running your first marathon before running your first mile (why not set a goal of reaching your first 1 mile, 5k or 10k first)?

Everyone is different, and reacts differently in each given circumstance. Some people thrive of pressure and perform well knowing they have deadlines and people watching over their shoulder... For others this can be their worst nightmare. Sit yourself down and think realistically about what you can achieve, if you're aiming to lose weight (which is a reason I get very busy every New Year), you need to think long range, that your plan is a lifestyle change; something you can maintain forever, build up slowly, making small changes and achieve good results over the next year or two.

Try to avoid fad diets, that will usually see quick "too good to be true" results, when you stop your diet you will only put the weight back on and yoyo dieting is so unhealthy for you. Look into your food choices, how often you eat out/takeaway, portion sizes, little things you can remove from your diet like a bag of crisps here and a chocolate bar there, cutting out sugar in tea/coffee, learning to say no to biscuits and cake at work!

The same goes for exercise. Always find something you ENJOY! That is the key to prolonged success. It's great that as a part of my job I help get people fit, I introduce them to new exercises, see them begin leading a healthy life and enjoy keeping fit. However, I'm very much aware that as a trainer, my job is to help them see their own potential, find a route they are happy working on themselves and continue their journey by making their own decisions. I've been training some of my clients continuously since 2005 when I first qualified as a personal trainer, others are happy once they've reached their goals and decide to take up a sport or fitness class they ENJOY to maintain their fitness, some call me again when they need my help. I'm always there for whoever needs me, some ENJOY their personal training sessions, some prefer to go it alone. The point is, if they are doing what they ENJOY, over time they continue to reach new goals and maintain them. It's not a quick fix. This is your new lifestyle.

If you would like to get fit and healthy, lose weight or just look and feel much better I can help you, either through personal training or at any of my classes listed on the above tabs. Feel free to call/email me for any advice you might need. If you're good at a sport and miss playing, look into local clubs, start being more active with your children, cut back portion sizes. The winter months are the hardest, with dark cold nights and plenty of comfort food on offer. You've still got a couple of weeks before Christmas, so why not pop along to a class, go for a walk and make a few diet changes now to give you a head start for 2014?

Finally, don't be too harsh on yourself over Christmas, try to make sensible choices but being an absolute Angel is normally off the cards, enjoy yourself, be proud and happy of what you HAVE achieved this year and think about the following when setting your New Year's Resolution:

Wishing you a happy, healthy and successful 2014!