I love the New Year – a time of new beginnings, a clean slate and fresh challenges. I’m an optimist by nature (my glass is usually half full!) so my enthusiasm at this time is running high, as is my adrenalin.  I can’t wait to get ‘stuck in.’

I do have some New Year’s resolutions.  Here they are….
FOOD:  To learn how to make more sauces from scratch.  One a month is realisatic!

EXERCISE:   To incorporate more ‘on the spot’ exercises, making the most of my time waiting for the kettle to boil, or the sink to fill or the TV commercials to run, by moving around more: sink press-ups, running up and down stairs, squats against the settee etc!

LIFE GOALS:  To write a follow-up ebook course to Fit For Life Forever by July and (if my publisher approves!) get another book which is on my heart fully written as well.

I’m appearing on a Revelation TV programme on the 28th January, (see events page) talking about New Year’s Resolutions, specifically in the areas of diet and exercise, so I’ve got a very good incentive to follow through, haven’t I?!

Now, what about you?  Have you made any New Year’s resolutions, especially regarding eating and exercise?  They’re not a bad thing at all; in fact my own weight loss back in 2004 began in precisely this way. I didn’t begin on the 1st January though because I had a holiday in Malta planned for the first week of the year, but I did make a start the day after my return.  Since I had this in mind before I went on my holiday you can probably guess what happened on the holiday…..  It was like Custer’s last stand; I ate everything in sight because I knew that up ahead there would be discipline and (I believed falsely) deprivation. Those of you who have made the New Year a focus for losing weight, have you done the same – eating up all those Christmas left-overs to get them out of the way so that you won’t be further tempted in January? If you’ve got un-oponed boxes of chocolate, just hide them away (or better still get someone else to hide them) don’t be tempted to eat the lot, adding a few further pounds to your task ahead.

Here are just four tips to help you achieve your goals:

1)    Pray that God will guide you in realistic goal-setting.  What God ordains, he will grant the grace to accomplish.

2)    Be precise. The more precise you are, the greater your chance of success. Those who aim at nothing usually hit their mark!  Did you notice (in my own resolutions) that I didn’t just generalize: more home-made sauces, more exercise, write a book.  No, I was more precise than that, setting specific ways in which I intended to make things happen and putting some kind of time frame to it where appropriate. 

3)    Recognise your weakness and lean hard on God.  You can’t do these things in your own strength.  Your resolve should be first and foremost to look more to Him and rely less and less on yourself. Learn to submit your appetite and eating behaviour to God on a daily basis; make Him the Lord of your entire relationship with food.  This gives Him the right to speak into your life and helps you to have an open heart and a listening ear.

4)    Don’t ever give up.  You will blow it at times but don’t be discouraged.  These experiences, received correctly, only serve to humble us so that we rely even less on ourselves and more on the power of the Holy Spirit.  If you fall off the bike, just get right back on; if the wind is against you, keep pedaling with your eyes on your goal; if others who began the journey with you fall back, you just keep right on going.

In the coming months I promise to give you an honest report about my own resolutions.  How about that for accountability!  You pray for me, and I will pray for you.   Happy New Year!