Tips on how to stick to your 2019 goals

Professional trainer and coach says: "We are reaching that time of the year when people start looking back at what they have achieved over the last 12 months and considering what goals they are going to set for the year ahead." Each year around only 10 per cent of people manage to achieve their resolutions and up to 80 per cent of people fail by February so what does Claire suggest we do to be more successful? "Most importantly you need to set realistic goals and start with just the one," she explains. "You may have a long list of things you want to try or change but if you focus your energy on just the one you will boost your chances of being more successful. Try to set your goal before the beginning of the new year and create a plan around it – preparation is always important even with resolutions. "Don’t make your goal too vague, for example instead of ‘I am going to get fitter through exercise’, instead chose ‘I am going to exercise three times a week’ – this is much easier to measure. Once you have your goal write it down and in more than one place, in key places so you are constantly reminded of what you want to achieve. I suggest to my coaching clients that they write their goal down, take a photo and use it as their screen saver on their phone – there is no getting away from it that way. "It is important to know how you are going to feel when you reach your goal – visualisation exercises each morning is helpful for this as it really allows you to consider the change that reaching your goal will have on you and your life. "Share your goal with family and friends. Accountability is an amazing thing so telling as many people as possible will lessen your chances of ‘giving in’ and not reaching your goal. These people can also be there to support and motivate you when you might be struggling. "Break your goal down into bite-sized steps. You are one side of the bridge and your goal is the other side – what do you need to do to get across that bridge and achieve your goal? Creating sub goals will make things more manageable. In addition, understanding what might stand in the way of you achieving your goal is crucial - if you are already aware of these obstacles you will be more prepared to deal with them when they appear. "So now you are ready to start and the first couple of days are going well but what happens when you start feeling as though you are going to ‘give in’? Remain positive and keep telling yourself you can dot it but if you have one hiccup do not accept one failure as a trigger to give up. Understand what prompted you to fall off the wagon and make a conscious decision to get straight back on it. Perseverance is key so try again, stay positive and you will get there. "Good luck!" To view Claire's website visit www.oandotrainercoach.com READ MORE 11 New year's resolutions you may want to tryFive ways to find balance this festive season Want a happy, healthy Christmas? TV's Dr Hilary Jones tells you how