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According to a highly cited study, only 8% of Americans follow through with their New Year’s Resolutions. For myself, 2017 was one of those years where I made a resolution and I stuck to it; I joined that small 8%! I wanted to, and successfully became, a Spartan Race Trifecta athlete. 2017 was a busy year in my books, so how was I able to accomplish this task? Well, here are the secrets to my success that I hope you apply to your own 2018 New Year’s Resolutions!

1. Make your goals clear and concise
   Within the fitness world, it is really easy to make very general goals… “I want to lose weight” or “I want to eat better”. Your goals should be S.M.A.R.T! Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. This will ensure that you are striving towards specific goals that you can achieve. Some examples could be “lose 20 pounds before my cousins wedding in May”, “lose 10% body fat before my trip to the Bahamas”, “run a mile in less than 9 minutes”, or “hit my personal record of back squatting 225lbs before beach season”. Let your goal be unique to you. Whatever it may be, BE SMART!
   
   
2. Keep track of your progress
   Having the ability to measure your goal is very important. So, being able to track what you have done throughout the year to achieve your goal is just as important. Whether this be in your planner, in a journal, in your phone, WHATEVER IS BEST FOR YOU. Make sure it is written down in an easily accessible location and that you actively update with the steps you have taken towards achieving your New Year’s resolution.
   
   
3. Have patience and positivity
   I am sure that anyone reading this can relate: progress is a bumpy road. No road to success is a linear path. It has its ups and downs, good days and bad. Rarely are changes immediate. It is important for you to have patience, good faith, and positivity!
   
   
4. Tell people close to you about your goals!
   Find others to help make yourself accountable. It is so easy to make excuses. Whether excuses are time, energy, work... we all have done it. Social and moral support is crucial! Have the courage to share your goals with the people around you that matter. Through success or failure, these people will support you and encourage you through the good days and the bad and that will dramatically increase your chances of success. In my circumstance, I told my dad that I wanted to be a Trifecta athlete, and he completed all the races with me! You never know the kind of movement you could inspire.
   
   
5. It’s better to do something than to do nothing
   We as humans are totally guilty of the “all or nothing” trick. If we don’t accomplish something, we beat ourselves up and don’t acknowledge everything it took to get to where we are. Something is better than nothing! You don’t have time for an hour at the gym? Give yourself 20 minutes for an at home HIIT workout. Minor injury? Work other muscle groups or work on your cardiovascular endurance! Any effort is better than no effort.
   
   
6. “I get knocked down, but I get up again. You are never gonna keep me down”
   Being resilient is so important. Do not turn mistakes or relapses or small failures into larger problems, or excuses to give up. Acknowledge your mistakes, realize what you did wrong and in which situation you were put in, and make positive changes to continue to commit yourself towards your New Year’s resolution.