The first page of a fresh calendar year is symbolic of so many things in life. There are 365 blank squares before us, waiting to be filled. And before the pages get cluttered with school events and doctor's appointments, we have an opportunity to schedule something for ourselves first!

Our resolutions may be big or small, vague or deeply personal, but they all share one common fault: Without commitment and accountability they are just empty wishes, vanishing into the air. How are some people so successful in achieving their goals, while others never make it beyond posting their resolutions to Facebook?

I am not anti-resolution, but for some time I have taken up an issue with the inflated importance placed on the changes we wish to make... just once a year. In reality, it's winter, it's cold, and we are under the same time constraints with the same limited hours of daylight on January 2nd as we had on December 21st. It's easy to make really big plans for ourselves in the midst of winter break. But then we're thrown back into the mix, probably still feeling the effects of New Year's Eve, and wondering, "Wait, so just how am I going to do this?"

So while there is absolutely nothing wrong with making a New Year's Resolution, I want to help you re-think how you approach your goals. Because it's not enough to just say "I want to _____ in 2015," you need a plan with concrete steps to follow and complete at pre-determined intervals. It is the same approach I encourage clients to take when beginning or making a change to their workout routines, and can be implemented any time of year.

Have you signed up for my newsletter yet? No? Oh... well this is awkward...

Well it's not too late! In addition to my blog posts featuring the information that I feel is most important for leading a healthy, balanced, active lifestyle, I want to include you in my newsletter where -

• I'll share balanced, nutritious meals I cook for my family
• I will answer your specific fitness questions, even about my own diet and routine (I'll confess to you now, there's a bit of coffee involved).
• You will get specific exercises and workout routines that can be done at home
• You'll have exclusive access to local deals and promotional discounts
• You will be the first to know about upcoming group sessions and boot camps so you can get in before they fill up!

I know there are a lot of gyms to work out in, and it seems like there's another trainer's number on an ad or poster at every corner or bus stop. But I'm not here to just meet with you and take your money. I want to deliver as much as I can to enhance and enrich your training experience through one-on-one interaction and education. This is the best way, I feel, to empower and encourage my clients to take on the challenges that lay ahead and make lasting positive changes. One way for me to do this is through a newsletter with your suggested content. So sign up below and leave a comment on this blog to let me know what you'd like YOUR newsletter to contain!

The decision to hire a personal trainer is a very personal one. You are entrusting your well-being to a person who, aside from your initial assessment, may not know anything else about you. So it's understandable that this is a very nerve-wracking process. Just like any profession out there, we have people who are really good at guiding and training others, while other trainers are still - to put it diplomatically - learning their craft.

Recently, I asked several fitness professionals about some of the myths and questions they often field from new clients so that together, we can finally lay some of these misconceptions to rest! My goal, of course, is for anyone considering personal training to read this and understand that a good trainer will always hold your best interests in mind. Sure, it does take some time to find the trainer who is the perfect fit for you, but if their answers are similar to the replies you read here, you'll know you have found someone worth sticking with!

There are a number of things that often hold someone back when it come to making a major change in one's life. Embarking on a new routine, for one, is enough to make anyone apprehensive about taking on a new task or challenge, especially when it feels like it may turn your entire day and routine on its head!

For me, it's starting a business. Specifically, being my own business. There's no HR department. No billing department. No social media manager. Just. Me. I haven't been this nervous about something since I packed a (tiny) U-Haul with all of my things and moved down south to get married!

This is scary, ya'll!