Good morning!

How’s your day going so far? Mine started with a nice 8.5 mile run and a kettlebell strength workout – love those things! It was so good that I may just have to post it for you tomorrow. I also practiced the chin-ups I have been talking about forever, and let’s just say progress is looking very, very good! Breakfast has now commenced…..

• 1/2 of a Crispin apple
• pomegranate and berry yogurt
• Kashi Go Lean Original
• Nature’s Path Kamut Puffs with cinnamon
• goji berries (just because)

As you’ve probably figured out already from the title of today’s post, I’ve got my final 6 tips for setting yourself up to achieve your goals this year. In case you missed the first 6 tips in this series, check out this post. Here they are:

7. Find what works for you. Say you’ve resolved to be more active by doing some sort of physical activity 4 times per week. If you decide that you’re going to do this by slogging away on the treadmill for 45 minutes each day, but you really don’t enjoy running, chances are, you’re not going to stick with it for very long. Or, maybe you’ve got young kids who might burn the house down if you leave them on their own. Try as many new things as you can (home workout videos, going for walks as a family, group fitness classes, working out with a trainer or buddy, etc) until you find something that you like.

8. Know your weaknesses and strengths… then use your strengths to minimize your weaknesses. For example, maybe your goal is to get 30 minutes of exercise 5 times per week. You don’t know much about fitness, but you’re a highly social person. Solution? How about trying a group exercise program? The Running Room locations across Canada host free runs a couple of times each week – usually Wednesdays and Sundays. Check them out if a walking/running club is of interest to you!) You might also meet some friendly folk in the process – after all, with mad social skills like yours, who wouldn’t want to be friends with you?

9. Make your goals a priority. After all, if they’re that important to you, why shouldn’t they be a priority? Do whatever you need to do. Add them into your calendar, iPhone, Blackberry etc just like you would a business meeting. Throw your gym gear in your car so you don’t have to stop at home to pick it up after work. Pretend it’s like going to an appointment that you’ll have to pay a cancellation fee for if you don’t turn up. Whatever gets you there!

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10. Take baby steps. Your final goal might seem wayyy out of reach (like me buying a new car – the thought of it is quite scary at the moment!) but smaller steps (like saving $x per month) and reaching short-term targets can make a far-off goal seem not so scary any more… at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

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11. Don’t expect yourself to be perfect. No one is. It’s ok to mess up a bit – just start each day with a clean slate mentality and carry on. Use whatever you need to motivate yourself – pictures on your fridge, Post-Its on your computer monitor that remind you to drink more water and sit up straight, positive affirmations – whatever works! And in the event you do mess up, have a contingency plan for getting back on track.

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12. Reward yourself. This is my favourite part because it involves treats, and who doesn’t love treats?!? This could be anything, as long as the treat doesn’t derail the progress you’ve made (for example, say you’re budgeting but you spend faaaar too much on your mini-reward… sort of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?)

Alright, time for me to get going! The plan for today goes a little something like this…

• Work
• Dinner
• Cinema with 2 of my besties to admire Owen Wilson see How Do You Know – it’s a chick flick kinda night!
• Typing up my most recent amazing kettlebell workout for you guys – stay tuned for tomorrow’s post!

Questions for today:

• What’s the last movie you went to see? If you’ve seen How Do You Know, what did you think?
• What sort of rewards do you use to motivate yourself?