By Nate Whitten, Jan. 1, 2015.

The tradition of making New Year’s resolutions can work very powerfully when you know how to approach your objectives in the right way.

It just seems that most of us begin with a plan of attack (or lack thereof) that sets us up for 365 days of failure, guilt, shame and disappointment.

For 2015, making health and fitness resolutions that you can accomplish or maintain will allow you to finish the year a healthier and more successful you. For starters, her are three tips to ensure a better body, better relationships, better careers and better sex!

1. JUST SAY YES

The problem with New Year’s resolutions is that most people try to quit, stop or lose something. If you’re resolution begins with any negating word, you will fail. The reason is because, while your subconscious works diligently to help prove you correct, your subconscious does not register negating words. So, when you say, “I’m going to stop smoking this year,” your subconscious hears, “smoke this year.”

Instead of focusing on the things you want to eliminate, direct your intentions to the things you wish to add to your life this year. Here’s how it works: “This year, I’m going to add loving and meaningful relationships to my life.” Focusing on the positive helps you let go of the negative and toxic relationships because your attention is no longer on the cheating scummy girlfriend you had. Now your direction is toward people who love and bring meaning into your life. No more room for that drama anymore, and she’s organically removed from your life.

Try this one: “I’m going to add muscle and form to my body this year.” If you’re more focused on adding muscle and leaning out to see more form, you’ll more naturally make choices in nutrition and exercise that will support what you are looking to achieve. When you tell yourself “no” your subconscious hears “yes,” and will power is out the door! So, for a better body, better relationship and better career, say yes!

2. REALISTIC GOALS GENERATE SUCCESS

If you’re beginning 2015 at 350 pounds of sheer sexy bear-ness, you may find it difficult to show up at next years NYE parties sporting the latest Zac Efron boi body. But you can tone, lean out and loose a reasonable amount of weight that allows your heart to breathe easier and gives your knees reason to celebrate. Start the year in the gym with a goal that will support your previously created “yes.”

If your goal is to stop smoking, lower your alcohol consumption, ease lower back pain, get a new boyfriend who wants to buy you an Audi, and do the next Tuff Mudder by Jan. 31 – uh, get a grip – it won’t happen. If you are having a hard time setting realistic goals, start by setting more short-term resolutions that will give you smaller increments of time for measurable and adaptable milestones as you embark on this journey.

Being realistic will help you focus on specific body changes, it will help you reach for the more suitable relationship, and you’ll find more satisfaction in your career as you stop hoping for it to become something it never will. (WARNING: Being realistic sometimes means you will make significant changes in your life.)

3. TAKE ACTION

Now, it’s time to put your “yes” and your realistic goal to action. This means you will actually have to take responsibility to do pushups in the morning before work, instead of lying in bed wishing that you could lose weight. You will have to choose to eat the right food, instead of pretending that sugar is healthy for you since it is a plant product. You will have to spend at least 20 minutes a day getting your heart rate up over 90 bpm. You will need to update your resume and apply for that new job. You will have to stop being a wallflower and start talking to people who you are interested in meeting.

I did mention that this approach to New Year’s resolutions will also help you have better sex, didn’t I? Here’s how: Everyone finds a positive, confident, realistic, action-oriented person sexy as hell. Bring your sexy back in 2015 and you’ll definitely have better sex in the year ahead.

Taking action does not guarantee success with every move. But if you don’t do something, you are guaranteed to fail. So get up and do something, anything. And, if you are having a hard time taking action, consider seeking out a professional to help you uncover what’s blocking your path to success – even that is action.