How to follow through on your new year’s resolutions

It’s that time of the year again! January hits and you’re all amped up and your motivation is at an all-time high. This is going to be your year. This is the year that everything changes, the year you get those abs, gain a couple inches on your arms, fall in love, make lots of money and well, you know how it goes. For most of us, this motivation doesn’t really last past the first few weeks of the New Year. Once February hits, we’re back in to our same old routine and suddenly, this supposed to be wonderful New Year just becomes another average year with average results.

One of the biggest reasons for this is the lack of motivation, you started off great, but along the way you lost your motivation and your drive. Let’s get you back on track.

Set achievable goals

First off, your goals need to be realistic. If you have a high body fat percentage and your goal is to get your abs popping out, don’t expect it to happen in just a couple of weeks. This will set you up for failure and will quickly destroy any motivation.

Set smaller and more achievable goals such as, losing 1-2lbs a week and you will be well on your way to achieving your long-term goal. Just remember, it takes time, months not weeks.

Don’t let failure sink in

Your life will always get in the way and you might forget why you want that perfect body or what you need to do to achieve it. Write down your goals and place them around you to keep reminding yourself. Get a yellow sticky note, write your daily tasks and goals and stick it at the side of your computer screen, on your wall, on the fridge, wherever you can see it and be reminded.

If you’re just starting to work out, find a gym you like and then buy a long-term membership (6-12 months). This way, you’ve already spent a whole bunch of money on your gym membership and this will motivate you to go and workout rather than have all that money go to waste. You can also buy some nice workout clothes and/or shoes to motivate you further. If you spend money, you are more likely to commit.

Get help/share your goals

This is probably the best way to stay motivated. When you share your goals with someone, you are more likely to stay committed to them. Join the Muscle Research forum and share your goals and ideas with the other members, who will always be there to motivate you and share important and useful information with you.

Alternatively, find a workout partner. This way, you both will be there to motivate and push each other and neither of you will be willing to let the other one fail or just slack off.