While you might have made and broken resolutions in the past, let’s face it, if you don’t make them in the first place then you definitely are not going to be able to see them through. New Year resolutions are not about rolling out the same old ideas but taking the opportunity to set the tone for the year ahead, especially when it comes to your health, fitness and lifestyle. However, as we looked at last week, there are certain resolution no-nos that can threaten your chances of success in 2014.

In Part 1, we discussed five resolution failure triggers, which were:

• Going overboard with ideas
• Being unrealistic.
• Not being true to yourself.
• Ignoring how to go about achieving your goals.
• Not setting a schedule.

It is best to start 2014 with clear ideas about the life you want to live and focus on these aims in a positive way. So as not to detract from this, try and avoid potential pitfalls from the start.

Don’t waver: With fitness it’s essential that you are flexible so that you can monitor your progress and adapt or shift your exercise patterns accordingly. Being too rigid can lead to a system breaking down. In almost every area of life there has to be room to move and a bit of give and take. However, this does not include wavering and being too-open to whimsical thoughts and flights of fancy either. If your footing at the start of 2014 is a bit wobbly when it comes to your resolutions then chances are you’re going to falter. As in yoga, be strong and rooted but with a softness.

Avoid being overly complex or too interconnected: Often the simple ideas are the best. You may want to run a marathon for a good cause and that’s why you want to improve your endurance levels, but it might be best to not then try and arrange the whole run, or make it into a bigger event, especially if tackling the physical demands is going to be challenge enough. You also want to make sure that each resolution is not inter-dependent on another, otherwise one fail may have a domino effect. Let each resolutions stand in its own right.

The devil is in the details: You may have specifics about how you want to get in shape, for example, but don’t get in the mire with too many mini-deadlines, targets, measurements and calculations. If you overcomplicate with details what you are doing then it will seem more challenging to achieve. You may lose the thread of what you are doing and why if you box yourself in with too much information too.

Try not to become a 2014 bore: Resolutions are about dreams, aspirations and exciting new changes. So how come so many people talk about them as if they are about to undergo a year of penance where fun goes out the window and self-discipline and a boring lifestyle take center stage. Bring the focus of your resolutions to adventure, exploration, new beginnings and the idea of a new, interesting chapter in life.

Make sure you’re not punishing yourself: Determination and commitment do count for a lot when it comes to sticking to your end game. Yes, sometimes you might not feel like working out, or you may want to really splurge with your diet, but it’s best to accept this and work with it rather than trying to stamp out these natural feelings. In a bid to make radical changes, it’s easy to go the other way to giving up and set a gruelling schedule that is difficult for you physically and mentally. Resolutions are about the journey and not just the destination.

If you haven’t make any resolutions for 2014 yet then it’s not too late. We can help you work out what you want as well as help you find a way to get it too.