It's a new year. This is always my least favourite time of year at the gym or the local yoga studio. The classes are jam-packed and although I am happy to see so many people wanting to make a change in their health, I am sad to know that in four weeks half of those people will no longer be showing up.

I don't want you to be one of those people! So here are 5 ways to successfully navigate your New Year's resolutions and experience a healthier year:

1. Give up on the short term mindset – healthy habits shouldn’t be something that you do, they should be something that you embody. There is a difference between “working out to get a summer body” and “working out because that’s who you are.”
2. Give up your excuses – It's a lot easier to make excuses than to commit to making progress. When people know that they are responsible for their health, no matter their starting point, weakness, & past failures they will be more successful in whatever they set their mind to.
3. Give up believing in the “magic bullet” – Overnight success is a myth. Small continuous improvement everyday will be compounded over time and give you your desired results.
4. Give up your perfectionism – Nothing will ever be perfect, no matter how much you try. Fear of failure or fear of success often prevents you from taking action. So just start and then try to improve another 1%.
5. Give up on saying YES to things that don’t support your goals – In order to accomplish your goals, you will have to say NO to certain tasks, activities, foods, and demands from friends, family, and colleagues. You will need to sacrifice a bit of instant gratification if you want results.

Now I would love to hear from you! Have you ever been successful with a New Year's resolution? What worked for you? Leave a comment below and I'll be back next week with another edition of Doctor as Teacher Tuesday!