Ah, New Years! It’s that time of year when we start to think about turning over a new leaf…and making self-improvements…and getting into shape…and saving for retirement...and clearing out the clutter from our lives…and making more time for the time for the things we love…and there we go - before you know it, we have pages of resolutions that we could never realistically meet.

Statistically, the vast majority of people who make new years resolutions fail to keep them. The cynics will tell you that it’s a waste of time to make them – I don’t believe that. I think the process of identifying some things you want to accomplish, regardless of the outcome, is never a bad thing. I just think that when it comes to new years resolutions, we tend to make too many and then don’t know where to begin and if we do begin, we tend to lose motivation as the weeks and months go by.

I think the key to sticking with new years resolutions is to keep it short and keep it simple.

Personally, I use the magic number three. I figure if it’s good enough for Christianity (In the name of the father, son and holy spirit) and most childhood fairy tales (remember the three bears or three little pigs?), it’s good enough for me. So rather than making a long list of things that I want to improve on, this year, I simplified it and chose three questions for the month of January that I will ask myself every night before I go to bed.

For example, part of what I want to do this year is eat better, drink more water and work on my core strength, so my nightly January questions for are:

• Did you eat a fruit or vegetable today?

• Did you drink a glass of water today?

• Did you do your planks today?

I realize that eating one fruit or vegetable is not going to make a huge difference to my overall diet being healthier, but the important thing is: It’s a start.

And I have to say, holding yourself accountable is really powerful. Knowing that I am going to ask myself these questions every night is motivation enough for me to do it. If you need a bit more help, get a friend or a partner to help hold you accountable.

When January is over, I will come up with three new questions. I also want to read more – so maybe my focus in February will be more about that.

The point is keep it simple – three simple questions – and keep it short – focus on one month at a time. Good luck with your resolutions!

#resolutions