Most things in life require great organization and a healthy lifestyle is no different. Not only must you organize meals and activities, but organizing a budget to pay for all those expenses is also essential. Once you see how much money you have to spend, it's easy to create a budget that allows for a healthy lifestyle. This week, let's break down the finances and see how much you can afford to spend.

First of all, write down everything that must be paid for. This includes rent/mortgage payments, utilities, car and insurance payments, prescriptions, groceries, etc. These are the bills that must be taken care of each month. After you've added everything up, compare the total of expenses to the amount of money you're bringing in each month. Once you see how much money is leftover, you'll have a better idea of what you can spend on a healthier lifestyle.

Now, don't automatically assume all the leftover cash can be spent on gym memberships and exercise equipment. With any good budget, you will put extra money towards any debt and put money into a savings account. Then you can determine how much you have left to spend.

Once everything is accounted for, look closely at what's leftover. How much can you do with the leftover money? The best thing to do is to choose the least expensive healthy choices so that you can get more bang for you buck. For example, look into free programs, drink more tap water, and any other free choices you can make. The more money you save, the more changes you can make.

The key is to know which choices are really important to you. If you want a personal trainer, see if you can configure your budget to pay for one. If you're tired of paying for healthy restaurants meals every day while at work, start bringing your lunch. There isn't a set rule stating which healthy choices you have to make, you just need to make choices that fit your lifestyle and budget.

A new year is right around the corner. Many of us will be making resolutions that will change our lifestyles and our bodies. The only problem is many of us make these same resolutions every year and we rarely keep them. For many, many years I made the resolution to lose over 100 pounds. Unfortunately, those resolutions never worked. Why? Why is it that all so often we make these resolutions but fail? In this week's blog we'll discuss why resolutions fail and what you can do to succeed.

First of all, resolutions fail because we make resolutions that seem unattainable. Losing 100 pounds is a perfect example. When you make a large resolution like that, it may seem like a nice goal to work toward. The only problem is that even if you lose two pounds per week, it will take forever to reach your goal. Another reason why New Year's resolutions fail is that you simply aren't truly ready to make changes in your life. You may not be ready to give up something you've come to love or work hard to meet your goals. What's a person to do?

Stop setting yourself up for failure. Instead of making a resolution to lose 100 pounds, shoot for 20. Instead of saying you'll cut out all sweet and fatty foods, make a resolution to eat your favorite snacks in moderation. If you want to make changes but aren't ready to do all the work necessary to complete that goal, break the resolution down into smaller changes.

New Year's resolutions shouldn't be easily cast to the side in February. They should instead be changes you can live with and goals that are attainable. What are you waiting for? Get up from your computer and go make your 2009 resolutions. A new year is coming. Are you ready for a new you?

Happy New Year!