This will not be your typical New Years Fitness Resolutions or Goal Setting type read. You can find those on the other websites. As our fearless editors have written, 2012 should be a year where you focus on being a better version of yourself. I could start listing all the fitness tips in the world that you can start incorporating into your life but I’ve already done that this past June when we brought SexyBack.

Start instead by asking yourself two inner self questions today:

•  Do you love yourself?

• Are you happy when you put your head down on the pillow?

Then ask yourself one body image question today:

• Do you love how you look naked in the mirror?

The reason why I want you to look deeply at YOU first is because other health and fitness goals might easily fall by the wayside. Separate your love for yourself from how you perceive yourself in the mirror. Can you do it? It’s sometimes hard to do.

I could start telling you how to set short term goals en route to long term goals or how to set SMART goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and with a timeline associated with them BUT as I’ve said you’ve probably seen enough of those.

You need to build a solid foundation in your thought patterns, self esteem and sense of self before you can even begin to start setting your health and fitness goals. Take one second and look within yourself to the why’s you need to achieve certain things. Make sure those whys are in line with your life priorities and goals before you even think about changing your daily habits and lifestyle.

When fitness & health become a habit and a lifestyle then you can truly take on everything else. Don’t sell yourself short but use health & fitness as a strong foundation in your life so that self esteem, confidence and satisfaction in life can become your focus.

Love yourself enough to put you first and take care of your health. Don’t make it something you try and accomplish each January.