Welcome to Mid-Year 2008! Like most people, you probably made several resolutions back in January, with hopes and aspirations of making 2008 your best year EVER! You were gung-ho for the first several weeks, maybe even the first several months. You were bound and determined to follow through on your goals this year; nothing was going to stop you this time!

However, if you are like the vast majority of people, you have gotten busy, priorities have been scrambled and you have fallen off the 2008 resolutions band wagon and have given up. Sounds familiar huh? Can you relate to this vicious cycle that happens to you year after year?

If you can relate, then you are in luck! Do you realize that you STILL have six months left this year? As a fitness professional I know that you can still lose up to 50lbs this year safely.

Let me repeat... 50lbs! That is a safe 2lbs per week. Imagine yourself fifty pounds lighter before 2009 rolls around. Why wait until the New Year to start making those resolutions again? Do you honestly want to wait SIX months to change your life, your relationships, your body and your income stream?

That is why we decided to develop the concept of Mid-Year Resolutions. We are half way through the year, but still have the second half to go, which means that you have plenty of time to turn your life around BEFORE 2009.

How liberating and exciting is that?!

So, let's get started.

The first step in successfully achieving any goal is to have a vision of what you want. You must decide what you want. In addition to deciding what you want, take some time to answer why you want it. You should have very clear, strong reasons why you want to achieve your vision. How will it make you feel? How will it change your life? Why is it important to you?

You must know the answer to these questions for your vision to be strong enough.

It is also important to realize that the vision must stretch your comfort level, but it can't be something that will physiologically never happen. Here is a weight loss example: for 95+% of women, a vision of looking and weighing the same as her Freshman high school photograph is not physically possible. Realistically, most women aren't even fully developed at that age, yet so many are chasing after that goal. Dream big when you are developing your vision, but make sure the dream is not a fantasy.

Once you have developed your vision, it is time to put your goals in writing. It is important that your goals are SMART, which is a nice acronym for:

1. Specific: When you are finished with the SMART process, it will answer "what", "why", "how", and "how much". The goal should be so specific that it allows you to focus your efforts.

2. Measurable: The goal must have a number assigned to it. The number tells you immediately whether you made it or not, and it is an important part of creating motivation to achieve the goal.

3. Attainable: The goal should be lofty, but it must also be attainable. The goal should cause you to stretch your comfort zone a bit, and you will develop the attitudes, skills, and abilities necessary to achieve them. As you acquire these beneficial traits, you will feel better about yourself and even more motivated to achieve greater accomplishments.

4. Relevant to your overall objectives: Make sure that your goal fits in with your values and beliefs and overall vision. Many times people set goals that strongly conflict with another area of their life, which almost guarantees that the goal will not be achieved.

5. Time-bound: Something almost magical happens when you set a timed deadline to your goal. You work harder. More opportunities happen. Things slide into place just a bit easier. There is actually some scientific psychology behind this unusual phenomenon, but the biggest consideration is simply that it works!

Here is an example of a SMART goal:

"I will lose an average of 1-2 pounds per week from July 1st to December 31st by eating properly and exercising a minimum of 4 times per week for at least 45 minutes at each session, so that I can fit into my old clothes and feel stronger doing my everyday activities."

Now that you have written a SMART goal, here are just a few more steps that almost guarantee you will achieve it.

1. Write down all the hurdles that may prevent you from achieving your goal. Very, very few goal setters complete this phase of the process, but it allows you to psychologically prepare for the occasional circumstance or event that inevitably happens. Not only does it help you to mentally prepare, but it also allows you to progress to the next step.

2. Write down all known remedies for getting past the obstacles. There is no right or wrong answer here; however, thinking of solutions will place you miles ahead of those that are unprepared for the road blocks.

3. Write down the specific tasks that will be necessary to achieve the goal. It may take some research to complete this step, but the time spent will be rewarded with efficiency that turbo-charges the completion of your goal.

4. Come up with a reward for reaching it! Too many people never learn to enjoy the journey, so plan ahead and determine exactly what your reward will be for accomplishing the results you desire.

5. Read your goals EVERY day. Keep them constantly fresh in your mind. It will help you recognize opportunities that present themselves along the way.

6. Rewrite your main goal EVERY day. Writing your goals literally creates the mental picture of your goals and vision in your mind. This is an extremely powerful part of the process!

7. Do something towards your goal EVERY day. Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, will propel you towards success more than focused action.

8. Enjoy your journey... and your success!