A recent study found that 88 percent of all New Year's resolutions end in failure. Those are pretty bad odds. But, before you throw in the towel on your self-improvement goals for 2012, keep in mind that there are hard-working professionals ready to help you stick to your resolutions. Why not put them to work?
"Build human relationships," advises Georgie Fear RD, "No app, gadget, DVD or book will help keep you on the path as much as a supportive human being."
The following professionals want to help you stay the course. Find out what they can offer and get their advice on weight loss, job advancement and more in 2012.
Afraid You'll Fail? Meet Your New Year's Resolution Support Staff
Nutritionist – $38,100
Losing weight always tops the list of resolutions each year and it's one of the first to be abandoned to leftover holiday sweets.
2012 Resolution Tip: New York City-based nutritionist Rachel Meltzer Warren, RD suggests making small changes that add up to a big difference, like changing your daily Starbucks order from a caramel macchiato to a coffee with one percent milk. "You'll succeed much faster, which will help keep you motivated-and eventually add up to that weight loss you're after," Meltzer Warren says.
Personal Chef – $42,800
Everyone wants to eat better, but sometimes it's hard to know how to choose the best foods. That's where a consultation with a personal chef can help. A personal chef can not only teach you about healthy eating, but prepare meals for you, ready to eat when those sweets look tempting.
2012 Resolution Tip: Melissa Villar of Miss Chef RD, holds an associate's degree in culinary arts and a bachelor's degree in culinary nutrition in addition to her credentials as a registered dietician. Villar says there are plenty of healthy alternatives to typical junk food, but they need to be accessible, easy to eat on the go, and satisfying. She suggests low-fat string cheese, individually packaged nuts (not honey roasted or sweetened), or a couple of slices of turkey, chicken breast, or low-fat ham. "All these foods are protein rich, which helps keep you satisfied longer as opposed to candy, chips, or pastries."
Personal Trainer – $45,600
There is nothing like the encouragement of a personal trainer to help you stick to your fitness goals. Personal trainers not only ensure you move through your exercises correctly, they motivate you to finish them.
2012 Resolution Tip: Carla Birnberg, who blogs at MizFit Online and is a personal trainer and bodybuilding competitor, admits that she works out less than most people but the trick to getting (and staying) fit is to be consistent and move a little each day. "It's all about losing the fits and starts. They hurt us emotionally, as well as physically. I wasted three years of resolving to get fit and only achieved success when I shifted my mindset and realized each moment throughout our day offers us a chance to recommit to being healthy."
Certified Public Accountant – $61,400
In this tough economic climate, everyone is working hard to earn a decent living so it's more important than ever to make the most of your money. However, balancing your checkbook may be a challenge if you're not good at recordkeeping. An accountant can help you put a system in place for organizing your finances, like filing away receipts that save you money come tax time.
2012 Resolution Tip: Certified public accountant Gail Rosen advises exercising better control over personal spending but also to be aware of which expenses are deductible for tax reasons. "If you make a New Year's resolution to invest your time to analyze your finances, then you will get a return on your investment."
Life Coach – $41,000
Wanting to improve your life, overall, is a lofty goal. A life coach can help you focus your efforts and develop realistic goals.
2012 Resolution Tip: Sarah Robinson, a business strategy and life coach, believes that it takes a village to help you keep your business resolution. She recommends building a community of supporters with whom you share your resolution. This could be a career coach, co-worker or supervisor, or a peer in a similar job. Robinson says be sure to check in with them periodically, or ask them to check in with you, and ask them for help if you get stuck preparing for a presentation or asking for a raise. "Having a community behind you will not only increase your odds for success, it will make it a whole lot more fun."
Family Life Educator – $44,250
"Whether you are white collar, blue collar, or have no collar, you have to seek out opportunities to grow professionally," says W.H. Deyamport, III, Ed.D, who is a trained family life educator,in addition to being the creator and administrator of community-improvement website Peoplegogy. Family life educators work in a variety of settings such as in hospitals doing workshops on health and wellness, or in corporate, military, or government agencies training staff in new skills.
2012 Resolution Tip: "If the economic crisis has taught us anything, it is that people need to continue to learn to update their skills and stay abreast of the current trends." And this doesn't have to come with a six-figure tuition says Deyamport. "Check out the many, free open courses that are available online," he says, where universities and organizations publish materials that include lectures, assignments, hand-outs, videos, or podcasts.
Source: All salary data is provided by online salary database PayScale.com. Salaries listed are median, annual salaries for full-time employees with 5 to 8 years of experience and include all bonuses, commissions or profit sharing.
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