Writing Resolutions that are Realistic

Writing goals that are realistic is one great way to make sure you set yourself up for success. This of course applies not only to weight loss and fitness but to all areas of our lives. Sometimes having a huge monumental goal that's out there looming over our heads can really drag us down. For example, someone who is just starting a weight loss program knowing that she has to lose 100lbs to get her weight into a healthy range so she can lower her risk for heart disease may feel a bit discouraged or overwhelmed with the whole process. To her, It would be easier to say "you have to win the lottery to get out of debt."

Success breeds success!
Often, a great way to meet the long term goals you have for yourself is to focus on the short term goals that you know you can achieve. For example, if you would like to lose 50lbs, focus on what you think you can accomplish over the next 8 weeks. See if you can lose at least 10 of those pounds during that time. Competition is also a great motivator to help you strive to achieve your goals.

Also, base your future plans on what you have accomplished in the past. If you were able to lose 20lbs during a 12 week period about 2-3 years ago, think back to what you did during that time and try to visualize how you can do that again (as long as it fits your healthy guidelines).

Even if you have never seen great success in the field of fitness, look to other areas of your life. For example, maybe you were never a great athlete but you did well in school and were recognized for it or maybe you were "Employee of the Month" for helping your boss with a big project or maybe you met certain sales goals with work that haven't been met before. Whatever the past success, think back to when you achieved something that was important in your life and tap into that confidence to focus your efforts on your new goals.

The only real obstacle that is standing in your way to achieving everything you want out of life is you and your confidence! Thankfully, we don't have to rely on our own ability to create confidence. God wants the best for us! Having faith that comes from only knowing Jesus allows you to relax about your future plans. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones." Proverbs 3:5-8 (NLT) God's plan will never steer you wrong!

Prioritize your goals
In addition to goals for your health, you should consider goals for all areas of your life. These goals are listed in order of priority and you should consider keeping these goals in this order:

1. Spiritual
2. Health
3. Family
4. Education
5. Financial
6. Work

I am often asked by parents why I have health listed above family. This is usually one of the primary reasons why their health is deteriorating and not where they want it to be. Your health is more important than your family. In order to be the best parent that you can be, you need to first take care of yourself. What type of an example do you want to set for your children? Do you want them to see a mom or dad that uses their children as an excuse to be out of shape and overweight? Guess what these kids will likely do when they grow up. Exactly what you did! Set the example for your kids that you can live a healthy, active life and have time to take care of them as well.

It doesn't take much time to be healthy, 20-30mins of cardiovascular exercise each day and resistance training 30-40mins three times each week equals 4 1/2 hours each week at the most! Most Americans blow away that much time each night watching television thinking they are spending quality time with their kids!

Backwards Plan

Once you set your goals, reverse engineer them! For example, if you set a goal to lose 50lbs this year, plan your monthly, weekly and daily plans in order for you to accomplish this goal.

• To meet this goal, you will need to lose 4-4.5lbs each month.
• To meet the monthly goal, you will need to lose 1-1.25lbs each week.
• In order to meet your weekly goal, you will need to burn off at least 500 calories each day (500 calories x 7 days = 3500 calories, which also equals 1 pound of fat!)

Also, think about your other goals in your life. You can apply these same principles to helping you get your finances in order. For example, if you had $3000 of credit card debt that you wanted to get rid of, plan out how much you will need to put towards that each month, week and even a day (think about saving money on lattes!).

After you have your plan in place for the whole year, just work your daily plan and forget about your year long goal! You can only control today. You have no control over tomorrow. In fact, stressing about tomorrow is what brings about even greater agony. So much so that Jesus told us not to worry about it! He told us: "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:33-34 (New Living Translation)