3 Simple Steps for Keeping Your New Years Resolutions

Why complicate your already complicated life with complex recipes, workouts and healthy living tips? I love keeping things simple and easy, and setting resolutions for the New Year is no different.

We all have the same intentions going into the New Year: set resolutions and hope to see amazing results. Whether you're trying to lose weight, eat healthier, become a vegetarian, build muscle, or even run a marathon, we are all in this together.

Have you recognized that in January, your gym tends to be packed with excited exercisers? Have you also recognized that by mid-February more treadmills are open and your group fitness classes are less crowded? Here are some simple steps to keep those resolutions and stay motivated not just in the beginning of 2013, but through December and into 2014!

1. Make Monthly Goals

When you make all-or-nothing yearly goals, it can sometimes lead to let downs and keep you unmotivated after the goals failed. I remember one year I decided to stop biting my fingernails for the rest of the year. That lasted a whole three days before my nervous habit started again. If I set a shorter goal time for myself, I may have been more likely to accomplish that goal.

Last year I set a few overarching goals for the whole year (one being to sign up for a half marathon), but focused much of my efforts on monthly goals. Each month I start fresh with a batch of new goals I want to accomplish over the course of that month. Some goals might overlap into the next month, but by giving yourself a shorter time period to accomplish those goals, you are may be more likely to complete!

2. Write Your Goals Down

I have a blog and it's easy to publish my goals to the world and make me feel more accountable for them. If you aren't a blogger there are still many ways to write your goals down. You can do it the old-fashioned way and write them in a journal or on a white board, but where ever you place your goals, make sure they are in a place where you can view them daily.

You can also place your goals on your social media pages, such as Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram. Be creative! By sharing your goals with other people, you're not only held accountable, but it gives you the opportunity to receive well wishes and motivation from your peers.

3. Treat Yourself

This is something that people sometimes overlook. If you're trying to lose weight in 2013, make sure to not deprive yourself altogether of sweets. Treat yourself every once in a while. This doesn't mean binge on chocolate or ice cream, but by letting yourself have a little bit every once in a while you will be satisfying your cravings and keeping yourself from overindulging later on.

Another way to treat yourself is to set monthly goals (as I stated in Tip #1) and give yourself a little reward at the end of the month if you completed those goals. This can be as simple as a night out indulging in your favorite dinner, or treating yourself to a manicure. Whatever you do choose as your reward, write it down and view it daily!

Nicole Kennedy is a healthy living blogger and public relations specialist living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Nicole's blog, Simply Nicole, documents her daily life occurrences as she balances working full-time, blogging, training for races, practicing yoga, eating healthy and spending time with her boyfriend. You can connect with Nicole via Facebook and Twitter for real-time blog updates, tips and tricks to living a healthy lifestyle, and more!

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