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How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolution… And Get What You Want in 2010!

It’s time to turn over a new leaf, start being positive and begin fulfilling your dreams in the year ahead. So how are you going to achieve your goals when your New Year’s resolutions have started to go by the wayside or even worse; you’ve forgotten about them already?

The fact is that most people don’t achieve what they set out to do in the New Year. In a recent study by Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, 78% of students who took part in the survey failed to keep to their resolutions and goals.

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions

There are few key points on how to succeed and achieve your goals in the future. Here are the top ten results of a survey of goals and resolutions, as provided by CitySocialising, in the UK:

Achieve Your Goals in 2010

All - Total 4145 people surveyed
1. Enjoy life more (34.4%)
2. Lose weight / go on a diet (24.4%)
3. Get fit / start exercising (22.3%)
4. Learn something new (22.2%)
5. Find true love (21.6%)
6. Get a better job (18.7%)
7. Save money (18%)
8. Pay off my debts (16.2%)
9. Take a trip (13.6%)
10. Reduce stress (10.6%)

A few notable exceptions to the top ten were in 11th place - Spend more time with family and friends, 12th - Quit smoking and 13th - Drink less. I think we can all associate with many of the desires and ambitions listed above. The statistics however for keeping to these goals and resolutions are that 41% of Brits will have broken them by the end of January. You don’t need to be one of them…

How to Achieve Your Goals in 2010 - Think Small!

Yes, you read it right. You need to start thinking small - not big. Many resolutions fail because most people set to tall a task for themselves. Be realistic… Start by aiming to lose 1lb in your first week if losing weight is your goal - not a stone in your first couple of months.

You also need to focus on positive and not negative aspects. Here’s what I mean, focus on eating more healthy foods if you want to lose weight and not necessarily on cutting down drastically. If you want to get fit, take some gentle work-outs alongside like minded people by trying out a local gym - don’t focus on how much it’s going to cost you to join. Better still, go for a regular walk or jog… it’s free.

You might as well forget about the gurus and self help merchants out there who promise you the earth, they very rarely work for most mortals. All you need to do is find something you’d like to try out that’s new, exciting and ties in with your main goal for this year.

How I Lost 1.5 Stone Without Dieting

Join me in Andalucia!

Earlier last year my own goal was to lose weight - but I love my red wine and good food so cutting down drastically wasn’t the answer for me. As it happened, I’ve always had an interest in cycling and so I bought myself a beautiful new road racing bike in September 2009. I love riding it so much, because of the freedom and exhilaration it brings (you know, endorphins and all that), I’ve set myself a goal of riding a 100 mile Cyclo Sportive for charity in 2010.

I’ve set myself smaller targets each month and steadily increase my distance and pace. Prior to starting cycling seriously I did no exercise. As I write, I’m now I’m up to seventyfive miles per weekend in the process of ‘training’ towards my goal, I’ve lost 1.5 stone - that’s practically a whole 10 kilos!

I still have more things I’d like to try for 2010 such as boxing and a cycling tour in Andalucia.

You can start doing something now - however small - and achieve BIG results like I have.

Get focused and good luck.

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