by Elizabeth Nuttall

Created on: January 15, 2011   Last Updated: January 23, 2011

Many people set themselves goals and resolutions in the New Year.  Setting yourself a goal is the easy part.  Sticking to it and achieving the final results is the difficult part of the bargain.  Almost everybody will have set themselves a goal at the start of the New Year, but come February, how many people will have persevered and continued to aim to reach their ultimate goal?  Not many.  The problem that people have is maintaining the motivation to reach the targets that they have set themselves.  Here are a few tips on how this can be achieved. 

- Be realistic

Regardless of what your goal is, aiming too high can actually be a setback in the long run.  Be realistic about what it is that you want to achieve.  You must truly believe that you can do it before you have any hope of success.  If you think that you will fail, then no doubt you will.  Think about the time you have available to achieve the goal and any money that it will cost to reach your target as these may influence the way in which you set your goals. 

- Break your goal down into smaller goals

If possible, break your goal down into smaller, more manageable steps.  By doing this you will see progress and achievement more quickly and your overall goal will seem more attainable.  Even before you start, you will be able to see how you can make positively changes in the near future, rather than the long term overall goal, which may seem some distance from being achievable.  An example of how to do this is that if you want to lose three stone, you know that you cannot achieve this within a fortnight, so start to think about how many pounds you would like to have lost in the first week, then the first month and so on.

- Maintain a positive attitude

Believe in yourself.  Think about all the positive changes that achieving your goal will bring to your life.  Avoid thinking about negative aspects, such as what you will miss out on as this is likely to prevent you from completing your goal or limiting your choice of goals to set yourself.  It might help to keep a list of all the positive changes that you expect to happen as a result of the goals that you have set. 

- Get support

If your resolution relates to exercise, join a club or a gym.  If it relates to giving up smoking, go to a health professional.  If you want to lose weight, join a slimming club.  By getting support for your goals, you will get appropriate advice on what is achievable for you and find out the best ways to start making progress.  You may also meet like minded people who will give you encouragement and the benefit of their experiences to help you along the way.

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