NEW year resolutions are a waste of time, says a mindset coach.

Sian Winslade, from Rostherne, believes it is much better to make sustainable changes that will last.

Most people want to lose weight, get fit, spend less and be more positive, she says, yet few reach their targets.

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"Rather than trying to enforce flimsy, half-hearted, ill-considered goals, wouldn’t it be better to consider making more realistic, long-term, sustainable changes?” said Sian, who works with a local women’s charity and coaches men and women with their confidence and employability, the Shaw Trust charity, alongside private clients.

"Rather than saying that you want to lose weight, set a target of how much you want to lose and by when.

"Forget everyone else’s goals and ask yourself what you really want and what would make you more satisfied in your life.

"Instead of telling yourself to stop eating junk food, try finding healthier options and keep adding to the list. Cut down your portion sizes and set achievable goals."

Try to focus on making long term changes, she suggests, rather than short term wins.

"How many people join a gym in January yet have given up by February," said Sian. "Statistically 60 per cent of gym memberships never get used.

"If you do sign up, think about how you can make it work. How will it fit into your weekly routine and how can you embed that habit into your life?”

The key to making goals stick is being practical.

"As a mindset coach, it’s my job to find out what realistic, sustainable changes you would like to make, how committed you are to making them and whether you’re prepared to turn up once a week to tell me what went well and what was a disaster," said Sian, who has more than 25 years' experience as a mentor.

For more information visit sianwinslade.com