Losing weight and becoming more fit is a couple of the most common New Year’s resolutions. New Years resolutions are talked about a lot. They are a great if you can stick to them. The key is sticking to them. Most people make them but don’t stick to them.

On average about 80% of New Years resolutions are not met. Why? For a couple of reasons. Being overambitious, not making a plan and going on willpower alone. The old statement is true, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

Plan to succeed with these 5 tips to help you stay motivated and meet your New Years resolution goals.

1) Show yourself some mercy

When attempting to make positive changes in your life you will at some point have a setback. When you have setbacks don’t get down on yourself. Don’t let a setback cause you to stop you from meeting your goals. Use the setback as motivation to push even harder than before.

2) Stop Making Excuses

Humans can be very resilient creatures. Look at the great shape professional athletes are in when they push themselves. The more you push yourself, the better results you will get. But a lot of people love to make excuses for why they can’t workout.

The most common excuse is “I don’t have time” or “I’m too busy”. Really? You don’t have 10 minutes? You can construct a quality workout that lasts 10 to 20 minutes around your schedule. The key is to get your heart rate up to burn calories and get your metabolism going.

3) Find Inspiration

Visit and talk to individuals that have already achieved success. You can learn a lot from people that have done what you are trying to do.

4) Keep an Eye on your Progress

Checking your progress is very important. You need to check your progress to see where you are doing good and also more importantly see what you need to improve on. You will only get better if you do this.

5) Keep Yourself Accountable

This is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your success when working on a New Years resolution. When you have an accountability partner to keep you accountable, you have someone to call you on your excuses and challenge you to do better.

An accountability partner will push you on days when you don’t want to work out. They will help you become a better person. A good kick in the rear from your accountability partner will definitely help you stay motivated. Having an accountability partner will help you get over the temptation to try to go on willpower. Doing that will get you in trouble, ten times out of ten.

If you are wanting to start the New Year healthier make a realistic New Years resolution. Use the tips mentioned to help keep your New Year’s resolutions and stay motivated. Get out and do what is necessary to meet your goals.