A new year is upon us, and with every new year, come new resolutions and goals. For most of us, hitting the gym every day and getting fit tops the list, but let’s be honest for a moment here; how many resolutions have you been able to keep in the last couple of years? One? Two? Zero?

For the real champs that did keep their resolutions, congrats, you can leave this page and enjoy your life as you’ve already mastered the art of dedication, but for the ordinary folks, I think it’s about time you started working on actually sticking to your resolutions and achieving your goals, isn’t it?

Since you made it this far, it means that you’re among the poor souls who cannot stay motivated enough to stick to their resolutions for more than a couple of weeks. There’s actually a name for that, the “January Rush”. Well, no need to worry, we’re sure this is the year for you, as long as you follow our simple tips, tricks, and guidelines.

So, without further ado, let’s get to the five strategies that will guarantee you stick to your resolutions this year!

First Step: Make Your Goals Measurable

We’ve all been there. You just get a rush to start working on your summer body, you wear your new gym clothes and shoes, and you enter the gym all motivated, just to find yourself with no actual plan as to how you can achieve your goal. Remember the golden rule when it comes to planning, no plan equals no result. Don’t just put a general goal and expect to work seriously without it, after all, everyone wants to “get a six-pack” and “burn their love handles”, but not everyone’s working towards achieving that.

The trick here is to set one or several measurable, definitive goals. You can’t measure “I want to get a six pack”, but you can surely hold yourself accountable if your goal is to hit the gym three times a week.

It’s equally essential to set realistic goals. You can’t go from Netflix and Chill to five-day training programs in one jump. That’s a shortcut to burning out and failing. Instead, start small and scale up as you progress. If you’ve never been to the gym, start by going once a week, then twice, then three times, and when you reach that golden number that suits both your level of performance and your schedule, stick to it and hold yourself accountable.

Of course, it’s not only about going to the gym. Depending on your current level, you need to change your diet, sleep pattern, and lifestyle habits so that they work with your goals. So, rule number one; start with a strategy.

Second Step: Don’t Expect Fast Results

Disappointed because you’re not rocking that Matt Damon body despite having been to the gym four times last week? Well, hate to break to you, but that’s not how the fitness world works. Seeing results will take time, and it depends on several factors, including the trainee’s age, past training history, and consistency.

If you’ve been training consistently for a while, you’ll probably start seeing some gains in a couple of weeks.

If you are a new young trainee, you can start seeing results fast as well.

If you’re a middle-aged man, and you’ve never stepped in a gym before, with a poor diet, results will probably take time before showing up.

Don’t let that discourage you though, as with consistency and persistence, you’re bound to get the results you want eventually.

Third Step: Measure Your Progress

When you see that you’re making progress, you get an extra boost of motivation to work even harder, so it’s essential to show yourself that you’re indeed moving forward and getting closer to your goal.

The best way to do so depends on your goal.

If you want to have a better body composition, get someone to do a Biosignature Assessment, which is an accurate 12-point body fat assessment, every two to four weeks.

If you thrive to achieve better performance, create a workout journal to see how much you’re progressing and whether what you’re doing is working or not.

Either way, make sure to keep realistic expectations for you to have even more motivation to work.

Fourth Step: When It Comes to Diet, You Need to Take It Slowly

As a general rule of thumb, small changes stick more than massive changes when it comes to diet and nutrition. Don’t just ditch all of your calories and start consuming chicken breast and rice day and night. Instead, work slowly by implementing a few changes at a time until you reach your desired goal. Also, set deadlines to know whether what you’re doing is working or not.

Fifth Step: Longer Doesn’t Always Mean Better

If you can’t spend hours in the gym every training session, just don’t. Instead, you should work with what your body has to offer by focusing on frequency, food, and sleep. Three rules here:

  • Show up more often if your training sessions are short.
  • Give your body the fuel it deserves and needs instead of junk food.
  • Sleep for seven to nine hours every night as that’s when your body changes the most.

Should you work on those three points, you won’t need to make your workouts longer than they need to be.

Bonus Tactic: Pump Your Workouts with Energy Drinks

If your workouts are WAY shorter than they should be, it means that your body doesn’t have enough fuel to get you going. Feeling tired from the first set? Couldn’t complete your 10-rep Bench Press set? Been skipping that Hanging leg raises at the end of the workout program because you’re way too tired? Any of that sounds familiar?

Well, here’s the thing; you CAN complete your workout to the fullest if you consume the right pre-workout, and when it comes to pre-workouts, nothing can rival a can of sugar-free energy drink. Not only do they provide enough energy to get you going for the entirety of your workout, but modern energy drinks look so aesthetically appealing that you’ll have every gym rat following you around asking about your secret ingredient for success!

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Final Thoughts: Can You Stick to Your Resolutions?

Yes, you absolutely can stick to your resolutions and turn your dreams into reality if you work consistently, improve your diet and nutrition plan, set realistic expectations, and get the right pre-workout!

What are you waiting for, champ? Go show that squat rack who’s the boss!