Many of us make resolutions in January, often to do with fitness, weight loss, or exercise. Certainly for new moms, getting back to pre-pregnancy weight and toning up that "baby belly" tops the list of goals at any time of year. And that's a good thing, because without goals nothing's going to happen.

There's just one problem. Somewhere in the back of our minds, we also know that most people, most of the time, fall off the resolution wagon within a very short time, often even before the end of January. And that's not a very inspiring thought!

Here are a three essential tips to help you as a busy new mom set, and more importantly, follow through with your fitness or weight loss goals for the new year.

First, set a specific goal. For example, rather than resolving to "exercise more" or to "lose weight" specify exactly what the end result will be. How many times per week do you want to exercise? How much weight do you want to lose?

We hear this one over and over again, but the truth is that most people don't take the time to set a specific, measurable goal. If you set off to drive from New York to "out west" how would you know when you got there? When you reached Nevada? California? A specific city in Oregon? You absolutely must define your goal before you set out on your journey, otherwise you won't know when you've arrived, or when you're straying from your course.

Next, ensure your goal is framed positively. If "exercise for an hour 3 times a week" drags you down because you hate exercise, maybe saying that you want to walk with a friend on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for an hour, and making a date with your husband or partner to go out dancing on the weekend sounds like more fun. Different words, same end result, and you're much more likely to follow through.

In the case of a weight loss goal, many people focus on how much they want to lose. A more positive way of framing this is to state what your goal weight is. For example, if you weigh 175 pounds now, try setting a goal to be at a weight of 140 pounds (or whatever your goal is) by a certain date, rather than saying you want to lose 35 pounds.

Nobody likes to lose anything, and our minds have a funny way of messing with us when we say we want to lose something. Think about that for a minute. What do you do when you lose something? You try to get it back, right? If you set your goal to weigh140 pounds instead of to lose 35 pounds, you've just automatically bypassed the mechanism that wants to help you avoid losing something (in this case, 35 pounds). Besides, it's a lot easier to visualize yourself at a certain weight, than to visualize losing the pounds.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, once you've set a specific goal, realize that this is an outcome goal, or where you want to be when you've arrived. It's also important to identify what are called "process goals"-- those small but consistent actions that will move you daily or weekly toward your outcome goal. With process goals in place, your outcome goal will be easier to attain because you'll be developing the little habits you need to create lasting, long term success. And if you do fall off the wagon, you'll know what steps you need to take to get back on it quickly.

Going back to our weight loss example, once you've set a target weight as your outcome goal, try to identify 3-5 specific, habitual things you can do that will continuously move you towards that goal. These are your process goals, and it's helpful if you can frame these positively as well.

For example, instead of saying that you will cut sugar out of your diet, perhaps you can identify a process goal to eat at least 8 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. If you know that eating more fruits and veggies fills you up, nourishes your body, and makes you feel healthier and less likely to indulge in sweets, you've served the same purpose. More importantly, you've avoided sending your brain into sabotage mode because you're not using language that makes it feel deprived.

Other examples of positive process goals might be to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day, to exercise by dancing with your baby for 30 minutes daily, or to replace white rice with whole grain rice. On it's own, each of these represents only a small part of what you need to do to reach your larger goal. But with each additional process goal you identify and implement, you are forming the habits that will move you closer to your outcome goal. And what's more, these process goals tend to become lasting habits that result in a healthier long term lifestyle.

Whether it's New Year's resolution time or not, as a new mom wanting to get back in shape you need a plan for success. Try reframing your goals so they're specific, positive, and backed by process goals, and watch your chances of success soar!

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Susan Peach has been a fitness instructor for 25 years. As a competitive triathlete, business owner, and busy mom, she knows a thing or two about setting and achieving goals as well. New moms wanting help with fitness and weight loss ideas can visit Susan at http://www.mambomoms.com

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