Are you avoiding thinking about the goals you set at the beginning of the year? Start over. Here are some ideas I’ve picked up for losing those holiday pounds – or whatever your resolution is.

1. Are you competitive? Make a bet with someone – who won’t let you slide. Spouse, grown child, best friend (only if she won’t nag but will insist you stick to your part of the deal.) I once bet my husband $75 that I would lose a specific amount of weight in 60 days. Okay – I didn’t win $75 because I was a couple of pounds short. But I did lose most of the weight because I really didn’t want to give him $75. And I went on to lose the other few pounds.
2. I recently saw a suggestion that you put a $1 in a jar for every workout. When it gets to $100, treat yourself to a massage. If your resolution is say, getting the basement cleaned out rather than losing weight, pay yourself for every box you fill and get rid of.
3. Admit this is hard. Take a hint from the 12-step programs that break addiction (and yes, those are hard.) Just do it today. Don’t worry about the next month of exercise, diet, whatever. Just do it today. And when you miss a day – forgive yourself.
4. Call your local Physician’s Assistant. The Georgia Association of Physicians Assistants will write you an “Rx for Fitness” prescription, which entitles you to a free one-day park pass to take a hike in a Georgia State Park. This program is funded by The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation. (In addition to walking, you can canoe, kayak, geocache and disc golf at the various parks.) After that, check out the park pass from your local library and try another of the park’s offerings. Then join Friends of Georgia State Parks. Your membership includes an annual park pass.  Now, you’ve made an investment – get your money’s worth!
5. Finally – give yourself a few minutes to analyze what’s not working. Is your resolution realistic? Does it need to be broken into baby steps? Is it that you plop down after dealing with work and traffic and then can’t make yourself get up and move? Is it the person you have lunch with that keeps you from eating healthy? How would you advise your best friend? You can do this. Forgive yourself and then get started.