How come most resolutions dont survive past Valentines Day? What gives a few determined people the will to continue, while so many drop off at the sidelines? How can you make sure that you will have the right stuff to stick to a resolution?

Being from the health / fitness / wellness industry, I have seen droves of enthusiastic and health minded clients come through the doors in early January. Within a month, or two, many of them were gone. When I worked at Ocean State Fitness, some of the personal trainers would bet on the odds of a client making it to February.

Below, I have outlined a preliminary game plan for anyone who wants to succeed at anything. This doesnt just apply to fitness, body building, weight loss, Yoga, martial arts, or quitting smoking. The principles below apply to everything you can attain in life.

Write your resolution down, and put it somewhere you will see it every day. If you plan on a New Years Resolution, do it as soon as possible. Plan it out in your mind and understand that you will be at a few parties between now and then.

Design a realistic short-term goal and a long-range goal.
Be prepared for some set backs, pick yourself up, and move
forward. For example: If you made a resolution to lose
weight, do you think you will eat perfect all year. Theres going to be at least one kind of junk food you will crave.

The worst thing you can do is get depressed over being human. If you overate, smoked a cigarette, or drank too much, get back into your new healthy lifestyle right away. Eventually, you will be less self-indulgent, but remember, Rome wasnt built in a day.

The biggest difference between people who persist, and
those who dont, is consistency. You wont see any big changes in your health in a single day, so dont beat yourself up over skipping a workout, unless you make it a trend. If you find yourself having trouble, get professional advice.

Talk to your family physician, consult a personal trainer, Yoga teacher, or life coach, and adjust your plans to fit within your lifestyle. Talk is cheap, so make a plan, and take action based upon what you learn. Maximize your potential by using the knowledge that you pay for.

Copyright 2005 Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard is director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He?s a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches that along with fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students who want to be a teacher. www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html