The start of a New Year is a great motivator to finally make the health and wellness changes you'd like to see in your life. However, this burst of motivation can lead us to focus on only the end result, like losing 10 pounds, finishing a marathon, or gaining muscle. But how do we get there?

While it's important to keep the end goal in mind, successful goals include a plan for between now and crossing the finish line at mile 26.2. Here are 3 tips to build a successful game plan to help meet your health and wellness goal:

1. Rephrase Your Priorities
   Frame your goal in a way that motivates you to keep working towards it day after day. Do you want to lose weight to fit into a smaller pant size, or do you want to lose weight so you can live a longer and more vibrant life? The latter reason reminds you of the more intrinsic and fulfilling reason for weight loss.

2. Define a Timeline
   What date do you want to see your end goal turn into a reality? Write down this date or mark in on your calendar so you have a concrete timeline in place to keep you accountable. In addition, pencil in milestone accomplishments. An example of a milestone accomplishment is losing 5 pounds of your 20 pound weight loss goal a quarter ways through your timeline. Milestones help break your wellness goal into smaller, more manageable pieces.

3. Set Mini Goals
   In order to achieve something new in your life, you have to make changes to what you are already doing. Change can be overwhelming, so focus on taking small steps toward your end goal. For example, if you goal is to build muscle, a small change may be to include a source of protein, like a hardboiled egg, each morning at breakfast. This is a simple, tangible change you can check off your daily to-do list, but it can help reach your end goal of gaining muscle.