Two more days left of 1999! And what do most of us do in the first few days of the year? Make yet another set of New Year's Resolutions. Many of us have failed at achieving at least some of our New Year's Resolutions year after year, and every year we say that this year will be different! There are, however, some things that we can keep in mind to help us make more realistic and achievable New Year's Resolutions.

First of all, set a big goal! Look at the big picture: what would you like your life to be like by the end of the year, and beyond? Striving for something that is really important to you (not your family or your boss or your friend) will help keep you motivated and inspired.

Once you have decided on what you would like to ultimately achieve, break it down into smaller, more easily achievable goals. Set lots of smaller goals; goals that can be reached, with effort, monthly, weekly and even daily! As you are successful with your smaller goals, you will feel more confident and motivated to reach the next goal and the next and so on until before you know it, you've succeeded at all the resolutions you made for the year, and the big picture has become a reality! All the goals that you set for yourself should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Acted upon daily, Realistic and with a set Time frame. If you're going to take the time to set goals, do it right! Don't just mumble to yourself some vague notions of things you would maybe like to accomplish. Decide exactly what you want to work towards, how you will monitor your progress, what you will do each day or week to work towards each goal, and when you intend to accomplish the goal by, but make sure each goal is achievable! And write it all down! Putting your goals down on paper emphasises the importance of them and gives you something to refer back to when you need inspiration. Also be sure to write down why you want to accomplish these goals; it will serve as a reminder to yourself when you're feeling less than motivated! When you sit down to decide upon your resolutions for 2000, remember that it is impossible to change your entire lifestyle all at once; choose a few areas that you would like to work on and just focus on them! Wait and see how you feel as you start achieving the small goals, and if you decide you can handle more then set additional goals. If you try to change everything all at once, you will be setting yourself up for failure, and the feeling of discouragement may cause you to give up altogether! And remember the 80/20 rule: plan to make wise choices 80% of the time, and for the other 20% have fun! We all make mistakes; you will slip occasionally on the road towards your goals. When this happens, brush yourself off and get back on track; don't beat yourself up or give up, learn and move on! With determination and effort, you can do it! Be realistic, believe in yourself and stay positive, and you will be successful in your efforts to achieve your New Year's Resolutions and become more Body Wise! Good luck on your journey, and have a happy and healthy 2000!