Want To Keep Your New Year's Resolution? Read This.

It's that time again. The end of the year is upon us and a new year of possibilities is about to begin. Come Monday, the diets begin and the gyms will be busting at the seams.

New year, new you... right?

I've always looked forward to the New Year. There's something exciting about starting a fresh, new page and setting some personal goals.

The truth is, most resolutions will fall through within the first month. Let's be honest, some of us have had the same New Year's resolution 5 years running.

Are you ready to finally follow through?

I've thought long and hard about some of the most common mistakes I've seen and personally experienced while trying to make a lifestyle change.

Here are some things to consider before making your New Year's resolution for 2018:

Set Clear Goals

Don't just say "I want to lose weight". How much would you like to lose?

Quantifying your goals will give you a clear target to aim for. Vague direction always leads to poor outcomes.

Set Realistic Expectations

Some people really go to the extreme when it comes to dieting and working out.

First of all, you're not a machine. You do not have an infinite amount of will power. So starting a super-restrictive diet that mainly consists of grilled chicken and broccoli is probably not that sustainable when you’re used to eating pizza three times a week.

You have to set goals that make sense for you.

In the words of Dan John, making significant lifestyle changes is like turning around the Titanic. In other words, it's going to take awhile...

BUT

It all starts with just a nudge of the wheel.

You could literally start by drinking just 2 bottles of water a day and slowly add in other changes to your diet as you go. I bet you'd be surprised by the progress you made after a year of small changes.

Sleep & Lower Stress

These are two commonly overlooked factors that have a massive impact on health. Neglect sleep and stress and you can forget making any progress.

If you're only sleeping 4 hours a night you need to address that first before adding another stressor to your life like a diet or workout program. All these little stressors add up and your body can only handle so much before it starts to break down.

Take Action

Thinking up new goals is easy and fun. Following through is tough. You have to take action. No one is going to stumble upon a 500lb deadlift, or whatever your goal may be.

Make a list of 3 action steps you can take each day to get you closer to your goal. You may not hit all of them every single day, but you're making progress even if you just take one step each day.

Be Patient

Like I said, these things take a while. That's just how it is.

And sometimes life happens and throws you off course. That's ok!

When you think you've hit a wall keep going. One day you'll look up and realize you're on the other side.

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You have the opportunity to make 2018 your best year yet.

I'm excited to see what the new year holds. There are endless possibilities.

Will you make the most of them?