I resolve to make time count

10 steps for improving time management and making room for what matters

If you're like most women, the first thing you'll do in 2003 is make a New Year's resolution and swear to stick to it. But, chances are, lurking in the back of your mind will be the ghosts of resolutions past -- the ones that never survived to see Groundhog Day. Why are New Year's resolutions notorious for falling flat? Well, most ill-fated resolutions either require free time or proclaim to create it, and the realities of a jam-packed schedule are usually no match for these good intentions. So while the goal may sound simple, actually trying to accomplish it can be discouraging, so the goal eventually falls by the wayside.

But if you've made one of these popular promises to set aside time for something important -- whether it's working out, volunteering or spending more time with loved ones -- you don't have to accept the fate that your resolution will quickly run aground. Just follow our 10 steps for fitting a new activity into an already busy lifestyle, and you'll be sure to achieve success.

step 1: name it and claim it

Just as jumping on an unfamiliar highway without a map can take you miles out of your way, trying to achieve a goal without a plan will inevitably cost you time down the road. So first write down exactly what you want to achieve and how you plan to do it. "To make any type of gain, you have to make a plan to get there," says Mary Rust (formerly Yockey), 1999 Fitness Olympia winner "Otherwise you're just going in several different directions and not working toward that goal."

If your goal is to exercise more, then decide when, where and how often you want to work out. You might determine that you want to go to the gym three times a week after work for 45 minutes. Next, break the goal down into increments that feel achievable. Perhaps you'll start by going to the gym just once in a week and giving yourself two more weeks to build up to three times a week.

To prevent the goal from becoming exaggerated or forgotten, post it where you can look at it often. When we don't document our goals, "We forget what we were really focusing on," notes C.C. Cunningham, spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and owner of performENHANCE sport and adventure athlete training in Evanston, Illinois.

At this stage, you should also spread the news by telling someone about your goal. "Once you tell someone you're going to do something, it's easier to stick to it because they're expecting you to do it," Mary explains. Now is also the time to ask your loved ones for support and flexibility as you adopt a new schedule.

step 2: come clean

The funny thing about New Year's resolutions is that they tend to repeat themselves. Chances are, you've tried to reach this year's goal many times before. To get a different result this year. rake some time to think about why you haven't been able to stick to the goal in previous years.

Take a few moments and come clean with weaknesses of the past. Think about why you haven't succeeded, what has pulled you off track, or why the goal has been so overwhelming. When it comes to fitness, don't ignore your exercise history just because you're ashamed of failed attempts. "There's a lot [of important information] buried in there about what kinds of things motivate you and what kinds of things just do not work," remarks Cunningham. Doing a mental inventory will prevent you from wasting time with strategies or activities that don't suit who you are or what you like to do.

step 3: do your homework

Oftentimes, getting started on a task is difficult because we overestimate how much the task will require, and we become overwhelmed before we ever begin. You may have been putting off exercise because you didn't think you had the time it would take to achieve measurable gains. Yet fitness experts point out that exercise done even in small increments can be effective. Cunningham says it's important to debunk the myth that exercise must be done in one-hour blocks. "You can intersperse five-minute efforts at an elevated heart rate throughout your day to accumulate 30 minutes, which will satisfy the surgeon general's recommendation for exercise," she explains.

Spend an evening or a Sunday afternoon on the Internet or in a bookstore to research what your goal really requires. If you plan to start hitting the gym, Keli Roberts, an ACE spokesperson and group fitness manager at Equinox gym in Pasadena, California, recommends looking into time-efficient training methods that best suit your fitness needs, such as walking and interval training.

step 4: reach out and touch someone

Fitness experts can't stress enough the value of having a reliable exercise buddy or a friend with a similar fitness goal, and this suggestion applies to any undertaking. "I think it's extremely important to have a support system," states Mary. "It's also nice if that person is going through the same program as you, because then you can identify."