Resolutions Schmesolutions! Set Goals, Make Plans, Be Successful.

It’s that time of year again.  Christmas is over, a new year is coming, and everyone is talking about making resolutions.  I’m sure you will read many posts this week about how to make the right resolutions and how not to break them.  I’m here to tell you not to make any resolutions at all.  That’s right, no resolutions.  No, “I will eat healthier this year!”  No, “I’m going to work out every single day!”  Resolutions like these are empty and impossible to keep.

Instead, I challenge you to set some goals and make some plans.  Goals that are measurable and attainable.  Plans to back them up, to set yourself up for success.

So instead of saying, “This year, I will get back in shape,”  figure out what you will do to get in shape.  Set a goal like running a 5K race, doing 20 push-ups in a row or even something as simple as moving for 30 minutes a day.  Then make a plan for how you will achieve your goal.  Set a schedule.  Ask yourself these questions:

-What activity will I do?
-When will I work out?
-Where will I exercise?
-Who do I need to coordinate my workout schedule with? (If you have kids, this is a big one!)
-What equipment do I need to get started?

Instead of saying, “We are going to eat healthier this year,” decide what that means for you and your family.  Does that mean only eating out once a week?  Making homemade dinners on weeknights?  Packing healthy lunches?  Set concrete goals then make some plans for how you will achieve them.  You might need to learn some new recipes, subscribe to a healthy eating magazine, buy a crock pot, or you might even need to take a few cooking lessons!

Write down your goals, write down your plans, then schedule them into your calendar.  Grab a buddy, a family member or someone from an online community to keep you accountable and give you support.  There are so many people out there ready and willing to cheer you on as you take off from that starting line toward your goals.

The following is a short list of links that you might want to check out depending on your goals:

My Fitness Page (look here for at-home circuit workouts)

Couch-to-5K Running Plan (go from not running at all to running a 5K in only 2 months!)

Mamavation and Bookieboo (a supportive community of moms losing weight and getting in shape)

Baby Boot Camp (find a stroller fitness class near you)

The Impact Body Plan by Todd Durkin (an intense 10-week program by one of the best trainers in the world)

ACE Fitness (get workout ideas and exercise videos here)

Nutrition Blog Network (a directory of blogs written by Registered Dietitians)

Clean Eating Magazine and Clean Eating Cookbook (one of my favorites for healthy recipe ideas)

What to Cook and How to Cook it by Jane Hornby (a wonderful step-by-step cookbook with tons of photos)

The Flexitarian Diet by Dawn Jackson Blatner (wonderful healthy-eating resource with tons of recipes)

Twitter (Twitter is NOT just for telling the world about what you are up to.  It’s a place to connect with experts and ask questions.  It’s also a place to share your journey with others who are on the same path or who have achieved what you are going for)

Nurture Principles (a new way of looking at wellness)

So the next time someone asks you what your New Year’s resolutions are, tell them you don’t have any, just plans for success.

If you have any resources you would like to share that I missed, please share them below!

Flickr Photo Credits:
Photo #1: DVIDSHUB
Photo #2: Justin Glass