Of course New Years resolutions are a hot topic right now. And everyone is giving advice about how best to achieve them.

In my opinion, the most important thing to develop when trying to achieve any goal is accountability.

Not only holding yourself accountable but also having other people to hold you to your goal.

When I first started on my fitness journey, I started a blog (not Man Bicep, but another blog…which now no longer exists). It had only one follower (Ryan), but the fact that it was public and that anyone could read it helped me remain dedicated to my goals. Having to keep a public log of my progress was enough to hold me accountable.

Also, sharing my goals with my family and friends helps. If other people know what you are doing, you are less likely to cheat on your diet or exercise plan because they are holding you accountable. You don’t want to disappoint them do you? No one ever wants to have people know they failed at something!

I’ve also run into the situation where friends and family try to be bad influences on you when they know you are on a diet. I take it as a challenge. I just think, “HA! Just watch me stick to my goals!” 🙂

And now I’ve also found that hanging a calendar on the refrigerator mapping out my goals helps me stick to them. It is a way for me to hold myself accountable. I don’t want to deviate from what that calendar says. So anytime I go to the fridge and think, “What’s just one little piece of cheese!?” I see that calendar telling me that it isn’t on my diet for today. That stops me.

That one little piece of cheese isn’t worth the shame and guilt I would feel for cheating on my diet.

If you find you have trouble holding yourself accountable, try making your goals more public. And hang reminders of your goals in places where you need the most encouragement!