Confession: I personally don’t like New Years resolutions. To me it doesn’t 
matter whether it is the 1st of January or 24th of October; if you want to change something just do it NOW instead of waiting around for the calendar to tick over. After all it’s just a calendar, what difference does it make?
However, as this is the first full week of 2015 after all I can guarantee that once again people are making their resolutions about living a healthier life this year. Gym eight days a week, no alcohol until next Christmas, only eating steamed carrots and white fish fillets… I’ve heard them all and guess what, that will last about 3 weeks (for those who are REALLY MOTIVATED) before the final drops of excitement dries out and most gym goers retreat back to their normal habits, “well, better try again next year”, they’ll say.
But his time it’s different! Mainly because you are about to read the most awesome Top 4 list ever created (I might be a little bit biased).
Here’s my top 4 tips to actually stick with your New Years resolution:
1. Start easy and build up – You haven’t done any training in the past three months but planning to hit the gym every second day in 2015. Not going to last. The solution: make it easier, like ridiculously easy such as training once per week. Once you’ll get the ball rolling it’s easier to add extra sessions instead of feeling defeated when your “every second day” plan doesn’t work out.
Once a week too hard? Make it once every two weeks. It’s better than what you’ve done the past three months.
2. Skin in the game – Give your partner, friend or mum $500 and tell them to deduct $100 every time you’ll miss a workout, not including sick days.
3. Decide a total number of workouts for the year instead of number of weekly workouts – Say you want to get a total of 80 workouts done in 2015, that averages around 1.5 sessions per week. This way you’ll give yourself some room to wiggle for holidays etc. One week you might do one session and the next might be three. It doesn’t matter as long as you’ll hit 80 workouts by 31st of December 2015.
Use this with the number 2. above, so if you’ll hit 75 sessions in 2015 you’ll pay $500.
4. Focus on your personal “bright spots” – What did you have success with this year? What did you do really well? Instead of focusing on what went wrong with your fitness program in 2014 find what went well. Even if it seems like the tiniest thing, find it. Maybe you made it to the gym five times in 2014. Think what did you do on those days so you were able to show up? Was it that you set your gym gear ready the night before or did you go train with a friend? Whatever it was keep doing it because that is what works for you. That is your bright spot.
That’s it, DON’T start your new year with a bang but rather be smart and calculated so you can still stick with your resolutions when August rolls around.
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