With the new year comes many goals or resolutions (I like calling them goals, but resolutions work for you please go with that), and ONLY 8% of the people who make these goals/resolutions stick with them and achieve whatever it is they are after. Why? I THINK….notice this is me thinking, not actual fact….it has something to do with falling off track, and then completely giving up because things aren’t perfect or not seeing the results you believe you should be seeing. At least that is what has happened to me in the past.

Here are things that have helped me succeed with goals that I have had:

1.Make Obtainable Goals

So I would LOVE to lose the rest of this 60lbs and I hope to this year, but an obtainable realistic goal for me is to “Lose Weight” or “Be Consistent In Workouts and Eating”. I know myself and body well enough to know that I may not reach that 60 lb goal, but is losing 45lbs, 20lbs or even 5 lbs failing? No!! It’s continuing progress in the right direction and that is a WIN!

So this year my goal is to be “Consistent”. Consistent in my workouts, in my eating, in my business and with my family.  From there I have broken it down to things I want to be consistent on and how I will be consistent with them, and this is obtainable for me. Every little bit helps!

2.Change One Thing at a Time

It’s exciting when you decide to make a change or have a goal. You want to do all the things at once to maximize your success.  This can be your downfall though.  Here is an example from my life. I have lost weight, gained weight, changed how I ate, ate whatever I wanted, started exercising, and stopped exercising more times than I can remember.

I will save the long story for another inspiring blog post <—–laughing as I write that! The short version is that in July of 2015 I decided I needed to get the baby weight off and joined a gym with classes so I had specific times to go. Of course when I started planning this out I thought about cutting my calories and really hitting it hard. The problem was I was breastfeeding still and was constantly starving <——again laughing….me starving? HA….so it wasn’t smart to work on the food. I didn’t eat poorly I just ate A LOT.

So my focus was the gym…going consistently 3 days a week. And I did that for 6 months. Did I miss days? HELL YES! Did I keep going though? HELL YES! After 6 months when I felt stable in my gym schedule I began working on the food.

In one year I had lost 10lbs. Some might have been defeated….and secretly I was….but I knew that I was in a better place mentally, physically and emotionally than I was the year prior! That is a WIN no matter how you look at it!

3.If You Fall GET YOUR ASS BACK UP!

You may stumble and you may even fall. What that looks like for you I cannot say because its YOUR goal, but no matter what you can keep going. So you missed a day, a week a month at the gym….just start going again.  You will still be in a better place than you were on Jan 1st!  So you ate that cookie, that pizza, 30 lbs of chocolate….start again tomorrow! You will still be in a better place than you were on Jan 1st!  So you stopped posting 3 times a week on your blog (foreshadowing?)….start posting again! You will still be in a better place than you were on Jan 1st!

Do you see where I am going with this? THIS is what I want you to keep in your mind and repeat to yourself if you feel yourself stumbling or falling “You will still be in a better place than you were on Jan 1st! GET YOUR ASS BACK UP AND KEEP GOING!”

4.Give Yourself Grace

I know its easier said than done but please don’t beat yourself up, and do give yourself grace. No one is perfect. In fact perfection is exhausting. This is something I continue to work on as well, so I have no great words of wisdom here other than STOP IT!  Try to not focus on the negative…every night before bed run through your head all the things you did well that day or the things you are grateful for….or BOTH. I promise this makes you happy and relaxed. If you want to write it down that would work too. I am sure there is a app out there for things like this….there seems to be an app for EVERY DING DONG THING!

5.Give Yourself a HUGE High Five

You are awesome and tripping up on some goals won’t change that. Just keep going.

VIRTUAL HIGH FIVE!