New Year's Resolutions Busted Already?

New Year's Resolutions Busted Already?

With January done and dusted, many well-intentioned New Year's resolutions have already been forgotten, only to be replaced by the same old routines and not-so-nice habits.  Helping you get more mileage out of your post-Christmas promises, 'Australia's Number One Fitness Guy" and former World Ironman Champion, Guy Leech, offers some fool proof tips to keep the resolutions alive and well all year -round. 

'Leechy" is gearing up to break his fourth Guinness World Record for the largest ever Core Fitness Class, which will be held at the Arnold Classic EXPO, in Melbourne in March.   At 51 years old, Guy shows no signs of slowing down and attributes his success to being able to set goals and work at seeing them through 365 days a year.  

To help you keep up your own good work, here, Leechy reveals his top tips to make those resolutions go the distance:

1. Why? Why? Why?

Simply making a resolution isn't enough, there needs to be an important reason behind WHY you're setting that particular goal. 'If you think about what you stand to gain by achieving a goal, and how you will feel when you get there, it will make it much easier to follow through" explains Leech. To keep your goals front of mind, set up an inspiration board somewhere in your home with quotes, pictures and anything that inspires you and reminds you of your goals.

2. Be S.M.A.R.T

Set yourself up for success by making SMART resolutions, by ensuring your goal is: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-based. 'We've heard it all before but  too often I see people making the mistake of setting resolutions they can't measure or track. If you can't measure it, how can you hope to achieve it?" asks Leech.  It's a really good idea to start a goals diary where you can document the details of your SMART goals and track your progress.

3. Outta' Sight Outta' Mind

Taking the time to write out your resolutions and put them where you can always see them, keeps your ambitions at the forefront of your mind. 'If you rarely see your goals, you're likely to forget about them," says Leech.  'Seeing your goals written out in black and white can work as a powerful motivator, and can really make the difference as to whether you end up achieving them," he adds.  Write your goals up and place them in a spot that you frequently see, like on the fridge, the bathroom mirror, or taped to your computer screen at work.

4. Break it up

Rather than setting long term goals that seem out of reach, break your bigger resolutions into smaller goals that can be achieved as you go. 'If a resolution is too big, it can be very intimidating and entirely off-putting," says Leech.  'Provide yourself with achievable milestones along the way to reaching your goal, acknowledge when you achieve each one and reward yourself as you go, rather than just at the end," recommends Leech.  'For example, if your goal is to run a half marathon, you might set a goal to run 5km, 10km and then 15km by a certain date, gradually working your way to the full distance and high-fiving yourself as your running fitness improves."

5. Talk about it

Don't be afraid to tell your friends, family and co-workers about your resolutions. 'If the people around you can support your goals, they will be able to keep you on track when you might otherwise be tempted to waiver," says Leech. Likewise, it's great to partner up with someone so you have you have a buddy to keep you on track and to keep you accountable. 'Partner up with someone who has the same or a similar resolution. Going on the journey with someone is always more fun and more motivating than going it alone," explains Leech. 

6. Keep tabs on yourself

It's always a good idea keep track of your successes and struggles along the way. Making notes of your weekly efforts or giving yo>j3urself a rating out 10 can be a really simple way to keep your motivation up. 'Reflecting on successes and struggles throughout your journey is a really powerful tool as it allows you to be mindful of what does and doesn't work.  I find keeping a journal or note book on any fitness journey incredibly important," says Leech.

7. Control the inner voice

'Never underestimate the power of what you tell yourself," insists Leech.  'It is important keep control of the voice in your head and feed yourself positive messages.  It is surprising how damaging your negative thoughts can be, while positive thinking pays off in spades."

For more information on Guy and his latest endeavours visit: www.guyleech.com