How To Set SMARTER Resolutions And Goals For The New Year And Beyond

2012 is nearly upon us and it that time of year when most of us try to make promises or resolutions that we want to make for the next 12 months. These promises can be easily made, but we often find that it's harder to keep them. Statistics show that the success rate for keeping resolutions can be as low as 5% depending on what the resolution is. This is especially true when it comes to weight loss and fitness.

Check out my tips below on how you can set meaningful and achievable SMARTER New Years resolutions that you can actually keep:

S - Specific - Goals should be specific - just saying I want to lose weight will not work. A more specific goal would be: "I want to fit into my size 10 skinny jeans."

M - Measurable - "If you don't measure it how do you know you are getting results?,"

A - Achievable - Goals should be something that is achievable

R - Realistic - If you have never done any exercise before setting a goal like 'I want to run a marathon' is being unrealistic. A more realistic goal would be "I want to be able to run a 5k.

T - Time limits - If your goal is "I am going to lose weight." You need to put a time limit on it as well as being specific. Instead consider setting time related goals like "I will lose 10 pounds by this 1st March 2012."

E - Evaluate - It is very important that we take time to evaluate our progress and see how we are getting on.

R - Re-assess - The idea here is to re-assess, set another goal. Goals don't have to only be set at New Year. Goal setting should be a continuous process all year..

You can use the tips above to set some of your New Years Results just like the ones below

Cut down on your debt - One way to work toward this goal would be to consult a financial planner and work out how much you will pay off each month.

Make more time for family and friends - Set a goal for how often you can get together; schedule a date night with your partner or a night out with your friends at least once a month. If you have kids you can set aside a "Daddy Day"

Organise your life - You can purchase a personal organiser to help to help you with this or use the many apps available on many modern smart phones

Get Fitter - Train with friends or your partner as this is an excellent way to keep each other motivated. You could join a gym or exercise class together. Research shows that people who train in groups get far better results than if they train on their own

It is important in mind that the main purpose for setting New Year's resolutions is to improve ourselves in some way. This is a good time to say to yourself "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." If you are struggling with a goal you set, re assess your goals, or set new ones, but please don't just give up.