We are coming up on that time of year when gym memberships increase, every where you turn someone is talking about some new fad diet or committing to Whole30 for January, and people who never had a shred of self-determination before all of a sudden find that they are more determined than a shirtless Putin on a warm day sitting a top a horse.

Let’s get real though. How many of us do this every December and come January 3rd, 12th or maybe even February 2nd, we are off our determined wagon and eating chicken parmesan with a heaping side of pasta and a piece of cheesecake afterwards? From someone that lost 34 lbs because she was determined, can I just say this? You/we will never achieve our goals unless you/we become something that you/we are not. It was not determination that got us to where we were, it was life and laziness and thinking that we can never become something we are not.

This is an incredible week because I fully believe in starting something now rather than waiting until a specific month. You can rev yourself up for January by working out 3 times this week. Get to the gym, go for a walk, sit in front of your tv and do 500 sit-ups, 100 push-ups and 500 squats and you will be golden. Eat well this week – toss the cookies and fudge and whatever else seeped into your home this Christmas season and get some carrots, apples, hard boiled eggs and just plain old nutritious things that will make you feel good on the inside.

This week, I want to get practical with you all. So, I’m going to write about some steps that each of us can take to begin to change your life. Because trust me, it will not happen because January magically comes each year.

So the first step is this – what can you do today to make it a better day for your goals? For me, it’s starting my day off with a little black coffee, a couple of hard boiled eggs and in an hour a trip to the gym. What about you? You probably still have some holiday dinners, lunches, etc. scheduled – so make the wise choice and get a salad with some awesome veggies and protein all over that mother. You can do this. We can do this. Just start with step 1, which means focus on what you can do for yourself and your goals TODAY.