9 Easy Ideas to Help You Stick to Your Goals and Succeed in 2009

Hello friend!

If you're like me, you spent a bit of time at the beginning of the year to write down your goals for 2009. Hopefully, you were even inspired to post them on our Message Board. It's never too late—if you haven't done so yet, jump on now! Because I really honestly believe this is one of the most powerful exercises you can perform all year.

Can you believe we're now three weeks into the New Year? Twenty-three days. Man, it goes by quickly, doesn't it?

Well, interestingly, research suggests it takes just 21 days to create a new habit... so my question to you is, what new habits have you been forming over the past few weeks? Or, have you found yourself falling back into the same ol' habits?

You see, unfortunately, a lot of people start to stumble with their new goals within the first few weeks of the year. They just don't seem to have the commitment they need to really make the, well, commitment.

Which has me thinking... what helps keep people inspired to push past those first 21 days, those first three months, into a full year, five years, ten years, and a lifetime?

One method is to focus on the small steps you can take. For example, choose one small change every week to every month. Something you know you can improve on to start gaining momentum. For some people, that might be drinking at least eight glasses of water a day and eliminating their consumption of sugary sodas. For others, it might be simply getting seven hours of sleep at night. For others, it might mean ensuring you're jogging 30 minutes three to five days a week in addition to the time you spend in the weight room. Others may decide to add protein to every meal.

While transforming everything in your life does work amazingly well for some people—and we've all seen the transformation photos to show they work—other people need to build up their new lifestyles over time. And though it may take a little longer, they may enjoy even greater success in the long run.

Whether you're the type who needs to dive in completely or the type who takes one step at a time doesn't really matter. What's most important is that you're growing and improving. Not just in the next 30 days but over the next 30+ years.

Only you know which type you are. And even that can change. But either way, we are here to help. You can always call us at 1-866-688-7679 or email us at info@isatoritech.com. We're here to answer your questions or just offer support. Because surrounding yourself with people, even over long distances, who support you and encourage you to succeed is another strong success factor. And make no mistake, your success is what's most important to us.

That's why we also provide a number of tools to help you reach your goals. For example, we offer a number of proven programs that will help you jumpstart your workouts. If your goal is to lose weight, check out the Lean System Success Plan. And if muscle building is your goal, you can't lose with the Maximum Growth, Volume II, program. If greater energy is your greatest need, then the 21-Day Ultimate Energy Solution might be what you're looking for. All of these programs have helped tens of thousands of people get truly remarkable results.

You also want to ensure you're using the right supplements for your needs. At the base of that is a delicious, nutritious meal replacement like Eat-Smart. Because after all, it's difficult to plan, prepare, eat, and clean up after five or more healthy whole-food meals a day. And proper nutrition is at the core of any healthy lifestyle.

Now, if you're looking for something to really boost your metabolism and skyrocket your fat burning, you might want to look at a quality fat burner. But all fat burners are not for everyone. So take some time to research various products to find out which one will work best for you. We published a helpful article a while back that you can access here to discover which diet pill or fat burner is best for you. Or you can also visit a website like UltimateFatBurner.com, which has independent reviews on almost every fat burner and weight-loss supplement you can think of.

Of course, as usual, we provide plenty of solutions in this online issue of Real Solutions. From a superset training program that will blast both your workout intensity and fat burning to delicious meals that are portable and protein packed... and super easy to make. And we didn't forget a heavy dose of inspiration either. This issue, we're proud to share the success from last year's 911 Ultimate Transformation Challenge Champions. And we have a bit of exciting news to share on one simple way to cut costs in our popular News & Events article.

Now, if you need one last big push, here's one more new idea that might help you: it comes from a newly published study which took 57 people who were interested in losing weight. Half the group was offered a cash prize if they achieved their goal of losing 16 pounds. And the other was asked to make a cash deposit of several hundred dollars, which they would lose if they failed to reach the goal of losing 16 pounds. In addition, there was a control group that was given no incentives.

In the end, both the groups that had financial ties ended up losing four pounds more than the control group. And about half of both of those groups lost the 16 pounds and were rewarded with either $272.80 for the cash group or were able to reclaim $378.49 for the deposit group.

The point being, for some people, it pays to be paid for your own fat loss. Maybe that's why contests work so well for so many people? But you don't have to enter a formal contest. You could simply deposit a chunk of your own change. And if you reach your goal, you can take that money back for yourself. And if not, well, you'll have to lose it. That might help push you past 21 days and right into accomplishing your goal.

I hope I've provided some ideas for you to help you stay on track and really make 2009 your year. The year you became fitter, healthier, and stronger than ever before.

Yours truly,


Stephen Adele
Editor-in-Chief, Real Solutions
CEO, iSatori

P.S. Please... take a moment to hop on the Message Board and share your goals for this year. And then, share your own ideas that have helped you stay on track in the past. Who knows, your experience may be the perfect idea for someone else who's struggling to push past 21 days. And giving back to others might be the greatest incentive of all. I know it is for me!

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