Making New Year's Resolutions Stick

At this time of year many of us will make New Year's pledges to make changes in our lives. It is estimated that about half of the adult population make New Year's resolutions and that 40% of us subsequently lapse during the course of the year. So what can we do to ensure that we succeed

Having over indulged and been inactive during the festive season you now want to eat healthily, drink sensibly and start exercising again. The first thing that you need is a goal to work towards. Your goal should be SMART:

(1) Specific: Write your goal down and tell others what you are going to do in terms of "I will" rather than "I would like".

(2) Measurable: State how much eg weight you would like to lose or the clothing size that you would like to get into. Over time track your progress.

(3) Achievable: Ensure that the eg weight reduction is achievable - for weight loss this should be no more that 1 KG per per week.

(4) Realistic: Remember to take account of real-world factors such as external demands on your time that might reduce your availability.

(5) Time based: Ensure that your goal has a timescale associated with it rather than being open ended.

The New Year is a great opportunity to set new goals, but do remember that goals can be reviewed and set at any time of the year!