Being a personal trainer one of the busiest times of the year is New Years when all the “resolutioners” are motivated to lose weight.  Unfortunately it’s also become an ongoing joke when people know that the resolutioners will drop off in a few weeks.

An January is one of the most exciting times for me as well because I’m also setting goals for the new year and I sure as heck want to accomplish them.

I’ve discovered some secrets along the way that have helped me and my clients both keep and succeed our New Year’s resolutions…here they are.

1.  Write It Down.

It’s easy to say you want to do this and that in 2010 but the only way to make it official is to write it down on a piece of paper.  This can be a little harder than it looks because once you write it down you are making a written commitment to achieving them.  But those who write them down are WAY more likely to achieve them, so take out a piece of paper and write down some short term and long term goals.

2.  Don’t Rush Out The Gate.

The motivation we’re feeling right now at the beginning of the year can almost feel like a drug and we’ll want to go all out in the first couple weeks.  I see a lot of people trying to workout really hard every day of the week and they really blow themselves out my going too hard too fast.  Start slow and build momentum as time goes on.

3.  Tell Somebody Else.

It’s far too easy to get away with giving up on your New Year’s resolutions when the only person who really knows about them is you.  Instead tell a couple of friends and I would even suggest asking them to help keep you accountable.  You’ll quickly discover who your real friend are because they’ll be the ones who will want to help you.

4.  Prepare Prepare Prepare.

I’m a firm believer that preparation leads to success.  I see a lot of people in the gym just “working out” and not really training.  Once you have a specific goal you can then have a plan of attack and plan your workouts and nutrition instead of just winging it.  Guess which one will leave you more successful?

5.  Get Help.

Doing it all by yourself can seem like the way to go because who really wants to ask for other people’s help?  But getting a coach or a mentor to lead you through where they’ve already been will help you out in ways you can’t even imagine.  Getting a personal trainer will keep you accountable MUCH better than yourself and the money you spend on the investment will be well worth it.