We’re three weeks in to the new year, and how are you doing with your goals? This is usually the time when things start to fall off the rails. The gym visits become less frequent, the junk food sneaks back in, the time management takes a back seat, and that money-saving? Too many post-holiday sales made that one hard to keep up, too.

It doesn’t have to be all for naught. Sometimes all you need is a little kick in the pants. More importantly, sometimes what’s needed are a few tips and tricks to keep you on track. So I thought today I’d throw a few of my own tips your way, some things that have helped me to keep on target.

Livestrong and Your Healthy Lifestyle. A few years ago, I dropped 40lbs and 6 sizes. I did it by changing how I look at food. Putting unrealistic restrictions on what you eat (cut out the carbs! 0 fat! Eat only cabbage soup!) is a sure fire way to fail a weight loss program. Not only do diet restrictions up your chances that you are going to cheat, when you go off the program and start eating regular food again, you typically gain the weight back in record time.

The #1 best way to lose weight is to count calories. That’s it. There is no other magic solution. I lost weight by limiting myself to a certain number of calories a day, and essentially being able to eat what I wanted within the calories I’d been given. That meant, if I wanted to splurge on some chicken wings, I could, as long as I balanced that out with other healthy choices throughout the day. Exercise was a big component too, and I would get bonus calories for going on a 40 minute walk or doing some yoga.

Over the past year or so, my weight has crept back up a bit (I’ve gained a size) and I decided it’s time to nip it in the bud before it gets out of control again. I was searching through the iPhone App Store one day and I came across Livestrong. Livestrong is a calorie tracking tool that allows you to enter and track your weight, and it contains a database of every kind of food you can imagine, and the associated calories for that food. At the beginning you enter a few details like your current weight and you weight loss goal, and throughout the day, you enter what you eat and what exercise you’ve done. Livestrong keeps track of how many calories you have left, so you know exactly where you stand at all times. The first week I was on it I lost 3 lbs, and I’ve averaged a healthy 2lbs per week since I started using it. It’s convenient, free, and most importantly, it works!

If you are serious about losing weight and being healthier (and have an iPhone), give the Livestrong a try. If you don’t have an iPhone, feel free to leave links to other online calorie trackers in the comments. Also check out the web site (Livestrong is Lance Armstrong’s foundation, incidentally) because there are some great healthy lifestyle tips.

Saving Money. I don’t have a lot of money saving tips, and there are plenty of other people out there who are far more educated about money than I am. But for me, one of the key ways I save money is by thrift store shopping.

Now, I am no fashionista, to be sure. I enjoy nice clothes and accessories as much as the next girl, but I am not really that in to designer stuff. That said, a girlfriend generously gave me a beautiful little Coach purse for Christmas which I love – not because it’s Coach, but because it’s so damn cute.

Perhaps it’s because of my thrifty Scottish roots, but I don’t like to spend a lot of money on clothes. I think most clothing is way overpriced for the quality you get, and I also hate malls and big box stores. Sure, online shopping is an option, but by the time I pay the U.S. dollar conversions and the shipping, I might as well give up on my budget entirely.

Years ago, I discovered the glorious thrift store (thanks to the same friend who bought me the Coach purse, incidentally). Since then, I have become a thrift store junky, spending hours combing the racks for stuff. I estimate now that about 80% of my clothes are thrift store finds. Here’s an example of what I got on a weekend jaunt to my local Value Village:

• 3 pairs of brand name jeans
• 1 turtlneck sweater (also brand name)
• 1 zip up wool blend sweater
• 1 pair of black leather boots
• 1 t-shirt

I estmate the total cost, had I bought these all brand new in a mall, would be over $500. The stuff I bought was all practically brand new, and mostly name brand. My total cost? $67 (taxes in).

If you want to get really serious about saving money, then take a look at how much you spend on clothing. Got kids? Why would you EVER go to a brand name store to spend $60 on a pair of jeans for your toddler that they are going to grow out of in 3 months? Kids consignment and 2nd hand stores abound, and the best part about these is you can trade in your kids’ old stuff for store credit.

Oh, and if you still MUST have that $400 designer purse or $300 pair of boots? The money you save by buying stuff at thrift stores will more than pay for those things.

By the way, the trick to successful thrift store shopping is to have plenty of time to do it. Block yourself a good hour or even two to comb the racks. There’s a lot of junk in these stores, but plenty of great stuff too. You just need the time to look.

Live Now. Perhaps the most important thing to remember when it comes to your new year goals is that it’s okay if you fall off the wagon. We’ve all done it. The important thing is that you recognize it and keep moving forward to your goal. The beauty of life is that every day that we wake up and get another chance to try it over again. If you didn’t do so well last week on your healthy eating plan, make a plan to start fresh today. If you spent a little more than you should have on the weekend, make a plan to hang on to your dough this week. Don’t get hung up on your past mistakes. You only have right now. Keep on going, one day, one moment at a time and before you know it, those pants will be looser and your bank account will be bigger.

Now, over to you – how do you stay on track with your goals?

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The decorations are put away, the Christmas sweets are all consumed, even the leftover turkey soup is probably on its way out. Tomorrow, millions of people will head back to regular life and work patterns, and as a result, millions of New Year’s resolutions will go by the wayside. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions for that very reason. What I do, is make a “To Do List”. I LOVE lists. Have all kinds of them. Lists of phone calls to make, emails to send, and tasks to accomplish. I make lists in my head of blog posts I want to write. I make grocery lists, edit decision lists, and lists of books I want to read. You get the idea.

But, you may ask, what does one write on a 2009 To Do list? It could get very long and intensive. Well, it doesn’t have to be extensive. I’ve broken it in to three simple items.

Make an Effort to Connect with Your Online Network in Different Ways
I had a crazy realization the other day. I was about to jump on a conference call with my co-creative partners in the 12for12k Challenge, Danny Brown and Kathryn Jennex, when I realized that until that point, my entire friendship with Danny had been through text (I’d spoken to Kathryn at another point a few weeks back). In the 6 or so months we’ve been consipiring collaborating, we’d never spoken once in person! We’ve written blog posts together, he’s interviewed me for his blog, and we’d been working on 12for12k for weeks up till that point.

It’s not to say that text-based connections can’t work. After all, Danny and I have been able to not only accomplish a lot, but get to know each other as friends in the process. What I am saying is, it’s important, at some point in your relationship with others, to actually connect in person. This is not always possible because of geography. After our call that day, I felt even MORE of a connection with Danny and Kathryn.

So, in 2009, try to connect with some of your online network in different ways. Instead of Twitter or email, try a Skype call or Gmail Video Chat. It’s really amazing when you get to finally put a voice or face to a name. Maybe try to attend a couple of events or conferences. I have plans to go to Podcamp Toronto this year, and wild fantasies of going to SXSW. The very prospect of meeting some of my online friends face to face finally is very exciting to me! Can’t make it to a conference, or no time to schedule a call? Try a video blog. That’s right, set up your web cam and just press “record”. Say your next blog post instead of writing it. You’ll make a whole new level of connection with your audience. (Newsflash: Look for more video posts from yours truly this year!)

Find a Way to Make a Difference
I have a confession to make. I don’t really watch the news anymore. It’s too upsetting. I know, some people frown on folks like me who ignore the tragedies that are occurring in the Gaza strip, or the natural disasters that are occurring around the world, or the state of the economic crisis. But I just can’t accept that amount of negativity in my life. I read enough and hear enough to have a sense of what’s going on around me, what the underlying issues are. But I can’t stare hour after hour at images of bloodshed and heartache and worry. It’s not productive for me.

If you find yourself getting wrapped up in the problems of the world, I suggest taking a more proactive approach. Turn off the TV. Close the news web sites. And then, focus your energy on what you can do to make a difference.

There are so many great charities and causes out there, so many ways you can help, from being a foster parent (I am), to working with the homeless, to giving of your time and money to any organization that means something to you. If you are worried about the innocent children being affected by the atrocities of war, don’t feed into the negativity by watching endless news coverage. Go to War Child. Make a donation. Volunteer. Instead of making yourself sick with worry about those kids, do something that might just make a difference in their lives.

Not sure where to begin? What cause to choose? I invite you to check out 12for12k.org. We’re doing something really special over there, and it doesn’t take much to get involved.

No matter what cause you end up choosing the most important thing is to choose to make a difference.

Positive Thinking Works Magic
Okay, well you are probably thinking – oh my, she’s really gone off the deep end now. We’re about to get a lecture on positive thinking and laws of attraction and yadda yadda yadda. Well, before you reach for that unsubscribe button, hear me out.

There are times when I get really wrapped up in negative thoughts. I’m a lot better than I used to be, but it’s something I still struggle with, especially when I’m over tired, haven’t been eating well, or have been overly stressed. Here’s the problem with negative thinking, in my experience. It makes EVERYTHING worse. If I’m in a pissy mood, then everything becomes 10 times more frustrating. My computer crashes. My car won’t start. All my bills arrive in the mailbox on the same day. And it all just escalates.

However, if I stay focused and present and don’t spend all my mental energy thinking and worrying about thing that have happened in the past or might happen in the future, it’s like magic. I get the new contract. My mailbox has cheques in it. I get that email I’ve been waiting for. My morning coffee is extra-delicious. I have amazing conversations.

This year, put at the top of your to-do list that you are going to do everything you can to avoid getting trapped in negative thinking. It’s challenging this time of year, especially if you live up north like me. Lack of daylight and endless snow and cold are enough to drag anyone down. But try, try TRY to find the positive. The real magic of the universe will open up to you if you do.

That’s it! Three items. Hmmm – I guess that’s my three words, and I didn’t even know it till this very moment!

Connect. Difference. Positive.

Happy new year!

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