With another “New” year approaching, we reach the time of resolutions and goals to improve upon your life of old, into the new. January typically elicits a boom in gym memberships and people exercising, as weight loss remains one of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions. The only problem is people don’t typically keep up with it, and it becomes a constant cycle of falling off the horse throughout the year, only to try and hop back on come January. David Zinczenko from Eat This, Not That recently wrote an article on “5 Secrets to Making Resolutions Stick“, and offered up 5 easy fails, and how to correct them. Below, I’ve offered up a summary.

1.) Long-Term Goals – 9% of people who set a 5-week long goal end up working out in the long run, so try setting a goal for yourself to go to the gym through the beginning of February to build up a consistent routine.

2.) Aiming For Perfection – You’re more likely to create a domino effect by skipping one workout into the future, so try and get any sort of workout in, so that you may boost your confidence and feel confident that you made some effort to work-out.

3.) Setting Goals Small – It’s okay to set your weight loss goals as high as you want, but be sure and be realistic about your timeframe goals with whatever you choose, as it’s only realistic to lose about 1 – 2 lbs/week.

4.) Focusing On Hypotheticals – It’s easy to think that “you’ll get around to it” or “I’m not too overweight” but looking at the glass being half full isn’t always the best decision for yourself. Sometimes you need to more honest with yourself than you may prefer, in order to see the error of your ways and better help yourself in the long run.

5.) Lack Of Support – One of the easiest solution to stick to whatever your goals may be is to surround yourself with like-minded people. Find a buddy to go to the gym with and you’ll immediately find a new connection with someone who’s going through exactly what you are.

Hopefully these tips stick with you when you think about what you would like to change about yourself and accomplish into 2011. Remember, most importantly, to stay true to yourself with whatever you’re seeking to improve.