How to Keep Those New Year's Resolutions

It's the beginning of January, and I'm sure many of you have made resolutions to get healthier — some of you are even blogging about them for our Get Fit For 2010 challenge. Whether you want to kick your smoking habit, exercise more, lose weight, or eat more green veggies, here are some tips to help you follow through.

• Make a few realistic short-term goals in order to reach your big goal. Instead of saying, "I want to lose 50 pounds this year," say, "I want to lose five pounds this month."
• Make a healthy goal with a friend, such as quitting smoking or walking every day, so you can offer one another support and encouragement to stick with it.
• Write your resolutions down. Seeing them on paper makes them feel more real, so you're more apt to follow through. This is why the first challenge of our contest is to write a blog post about your healthy goals for the year.
• Tell your family, friends, and co-workers about your resolutions, so they're not just in your head. Then they can offer a little friendly push when you'd rather skip out on your noon workout.
• Make a step-by-step plan to help you succeed, listing what needs to be done in order to reach your goals. If you're not sure where to begin, meet with a personal trainer, dietitian, or your doctor.
• Buy gear or products that can help you stick with your goal, such as nicotine gum, a fitness DVD, or a new pair of sneakers. Investing money toward your goal may help you stick with your resolution.
• Don't give up if you stray from your resolutions. Just make new ones and try again.
• Decide how you'll reward yourself once you reach your goals.

Have any tips to share? Feel like writing a blog post about your New Year's resolutions in our Get Fit For 2010 group? Doing so enters you to win a $100 gift card from Nike.