Top 5 Reasons New Year's Resolutions Fail

1. Not putting resolutions down in writing is a huge mistake. It's easy to follow your resolution for a few weeks but when you start hitting those bumps in the road, some people modify their resolutions to make them easier. Losing 10 pounds in two months gets changed to 5 pounds. It isn't so much that the goal is changed, it's that the goal is interpreted in an easier way. Write it down so that you won't be able to reinterpret it.

2. If your goal isn't specific enough you might never reach it. If you never reach it, you might give up before you change anything about yourself. When you write down your resolution, be as specific as possible. You'll lose 10 pounds in two months or you'll go to the gym three times per week. Those examples are a lot better than losing weight or getting into shape.

3. Reward yourself when you reach certain milestones. If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, reward yourself when you lose five pounds, then ten pounds and finally your final goal of 20 pounds. Rewarding yourself can be fun and most people forget this step. Rewards can be anything you want: vacation, buying something nice and even eating something unhealthy (not too much though).

4. Some people make unrealistic goals and wonder why they fail. If you've never been to the gym in your life and you want to start going five times per week, you might not be physically able to do that. When muscles are too sore, people start quitting. If you really want to workout five times a week, do it in baby steps. In the first month go three times a week, then four times and finally five times.

5. One of the biggest reasons why resolutions fail is because people give up too quickly. A resolution is basically waking up one day (the 1st of January) and trying to change something about yourself. You can decide to make the change overnight but you can't actually change that quickly. Even the smallest slip up can turn into a failed resolution. Some think that messing up one day is a cause to quit, it's not. No amount of mistakes should ever discourage you from improving your life. Just because you missed a day at the gym or drank a soda (which your contract didn't allow) doesn't mean you have to miss the rest of the year at the gym or drink 300 more sodas until next January. Mistakes happen and instead of quitting you should learn from them.

For more ways to avoid failing at your resolution, visit the New Year's Resolution Guide. See how others succeeded with their goals or share your own success stories at the diet and exercise forums.

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