Now that the holidays are officially over, the presents have been opened and returned and all the leftovers have been eaten or tossed out (along with the in-laws!), it’s time to settle down and get serious about your 2010 resolution. The number one resolution each year always seems to be to lose weight or get in shape. Why? Well it’s either because being overweight is so common or it’s because many people overlook the importance of one thing: setting manageable goals.

Why do you need to set goals when you’re trying to lose weight or get in shape? Because it helps you organize a relatively daunting task and manage the complexities of tightening up your diet, improving your exercise plan by marking off and recognizing your success. Having a goal or list of goals also helps you stay on track and focused. If all you say is “I’m going to lose weight,” then the only metric of success you have to follow is the number on the scale.

If you have organized goals like eating 200 fewer calories per day or adding in an extra 10 minutes of exercise per day, you have something you can measure every day...something you can “succeed” at every day. Goals help you celebrate all the necessary accomplishments along the road to your overall goal of “losing weight,” which, in turn, helps keep you focused and dedicated for the long-term.