***What's the Secret to the New Year's Resolution?

Have you always set up your New Year's Resolution and gone into it head on to then realize achieving your goals was more difficult than you ever expected? Did you give up just a few weeks after you started? You are not alone. I see this happen all the time. Every year, I see more people show up at the gym in January. Some are in good shape and some need a lot of work. By February, I still see some people sweating on the treadmill and pumping muscle in the weights machines. By March and April, the old faces are back, the regulars. What makes the difference between one person continuing at the gym and another giving up? The same thing happens when people start a diet. Most people live through the illusion that they will burn their holiday calories by January. Many still carry the extra pounds in July and, by the next holiday season, the same cycle happens over and over again. This is how many end up weighing 15, 20 or more pounds without even realizing. What makes the difference between one person sticking to a diet and someone else gaining more and more pounds every year? In addition to the above, let's not even talk about the tremendous stress everyone is experiencing these days with the snowball effect of the financial crisis. While most executives, entrepreneurs, business owners and others were already experiencing the pressure of doing more with less, everyone is now juggling even more than they ever thought any human could possibly do. What makes the difference between one person bouncing back and being resilient in tough times and someone else giving up? What is the secret to the New Year’s Resolution?nn1) Desire: While many say they need to lose weight and set this as a goal, few are truly thrilled about losing weight. When thinking about giving up their favorite dessert versus eating in a healthy way and exercising regularly, most people make the resolution a “must do” item rather than a “would love to do” one. The only way to succeed in resolutions is to transform this perceived need into a burning desire where you can only think about getting things done. Unless you are fully convinced that you deeply wish to achieve this goal, your resolution will not work. nn2) Passion: Adding passion and commitment to what you truly desire to achieve will make it a much easier task. Add energy and enthusiasm as you decide on your goals and you will succeed in your accomplishment.nn3) Goals: Once you have uncovered your desire and found your passion, it becomes easier to set up your goal. Your desire and passion will come together into focus as you pick and choose what your heart wishes and what your mind commands. The secret to setting a meaningful goal is to ensure that it is achievable. Once you succeed, set up a more challenging goal and build on your success, selecting more complex objectives as you move along your path.nn4) Plan: You have identified your goal. You are focused and ready to go. Create a plan of action breaking down the process into smaller steps. Check the process and simplify it as much as possible. Avoid unnecessary steps but ensure you can achieve each one of them. Add the time component and set up your timeline as you plan ahead.nn5) Follow-up: It would be wonderful to magically achieve our much desired goal with the blink of an eye. Tracking progress is essential for ultimate success. As you set up your timeline, check your progress and fine-tune your plan. Once you have improved your baseline and achieved your much desired goal, maintain your achievement by being consistent, creating a positive habit at a steady state before going onto your next venture. Allow yourself to experience your success. ENJOY your Wellbeing!nn Download this article as an MP3n