We’ve all been there… drifting off to sleep on New Years eve with your women’s fitness shorts and the rest of your workout gear carefully laid out, and a whole new year full of possibilities waiting for us when we wake up.

But when the alarm goes off at 5 am on January 1st, the snooze button sounds much more appealing than a sweat sesh – and just like that the dreams of a ‘new you’ are destroyed before the ink is even dry on the resolutions we so carefully crafted.

Well, peeps, not this year!

This is OUR year, and not only are we going to achieve our fitness goals, but we’re also gonna SMASH them – because today I am sharing 3 easy to follow hacks for a successful workout plan -no gym membership required! It’s time to get fit, disheveled style…

Fitness Hack #1: Plan to Fail

Wait, what?! Relax…before you click the ‘x’ button and leave my site forever, answer one question for me…How many times have you side-stepped your goals be it fitness, diet…whatever, with a simple shrug saying “I’ll start tomorrow”? Then, before you know it tomorrow becomes next week, and next week becomes never. If the answer is at least once…keep reading.

Riddle me this…why would anyone set a goal to workout on January 1st, when approximately 4.5 hours earlier champagne flutes were clinking, fireworks were going off, and confetti was falling to the floor?! Just no.

One of the biggest problems with goal setting, is the goals themselves! Sometimes they are simply unrealistic, so we find ourselves spending half the time feeling bad about ourselves for messing up, and the other half scrambling to make up for a lost time so we don’t feel like a total failure.

Take me for example – I’m not a morning person (#sorrynotsorry) – believe me I’ve tried.

No matter how many people tell me that 4 am is the most productive time of the day, that is not going change how I feel when my bed is warm and the snooze button is within reach. The times I did make a 6 am workout class, I was cranky, under-caffeinated and semi-delusional for the rest of the day.

So instead I took my failed attempts as a morning person into account and took a look at my daily routine to see where a workout realistically fit in. Personally, I love an evening sweat sesh – my work is done, I’ve been fed, and I don’t have to rush to meetings afterward so I can reward myself with a bubble bath and a good book after. #winning

What is most important, isn’t the time of day that you work out, its that you workout…period.

Fitness Hack #2: Kick the Gym to the Curb

All too often I see people standing around chatting at the gym, waiting for equipment to free up and taking selfies in the mirror…not the greatest for maintaining focus on your actual fitness goals. Instead of wasting your time and money on a ‘big box gym’ – spend that money on some cute new workout threads from lululemon and hit the streets, literally! With that being said, keeping on top of these fitness goals doesn’t necessarily mean hitting the gym. With there being options like investing in a Fitbit device and purchasing accessories through sites such as Mobile Mob, there may be a few ways to lead a healthier lifestyle other than just going to the gym.

There are so many fun and easy ways to get a killer workout in that also give you an excuse to see the world, get some fresh air, and the best part? Are entirely free!

Here in San Diego, some of my fave outdoor workouts include: running the stairs at the Convention Center – its the perfect full-body workout (especially if you add in a set of sit-ups and push-ups between intervals); jogging the hilly streets of downtown (sooooo good for the booty); and hitting up yoga at Balboa Park or Pacific Beach on the weekends I always feel like a new woman afterward, mind body and soul. But make sure that you don’t forget to take some pre-workout nutrients, like the supplements you can find at somewhere similar to SteelSupplements.com to ensure that you have all the energy and the right amount of focus to get you through the workout (whatever that may be) with ease.

Also, getting in the water can be a fun way to relax and exercise at the same time. There’s nothing like enjoying the sunshine in an outdoor pool. If you love the idea of swimming but aren’t a confident swimmer, take a look at North York Swimming for lessons and other useful information. Swimming and yoga make for a great combination and balancing the two can keep your workouts fresh and interesting #namaslay

Fitness Hack #3: Cheat

Why wait for the impending years countdown to kick off your healthy habits, when you already know you want to get in shape now?! Get a head start on the ‘new you’ by jumping into a fitness routine before the new year even begins.

Not only will you be ahead of the game come January, eliminating the ‘due date’ in your fitness goals will also help you shift the focus to living a healthy lifestyle year-round, as opposed to counting calories on a fad diet to meet some arbitrary deadline.

Come New Year’s eve, you’ll be so in shape a day off won’t matter – and who knows maybe you’ll even love working out so much that you’ll crave a morning run!

Working out has truly become one of my passions in life. It wasn’t always that way though – in fact, a little more than a year ago I was roughly 20 pounds heavier and completely out of shape, so if I can do it you can do it! (Don’t believe me? Here’s proof! xx)

I’ll leave you with one last tip – it’s all about getting in the mood! From what you wear, to the music you listen to, make your workouts as enjoyable as you can! Personally, I love creating custom playlists for my workouts, they help me stay motivated and keep my energy up through my whole routine!

To help get you started, make sure to check out my workout playlists, fitness routines, recipes and more – you can find them under the ‘fitness’ tab on the blog, I’m always adding something new so check back often!

You can also shop this full look from lululemon via the links below – personally my new favorite combo for keeping warm during an outdoor sweat sesh, are the run it out tights , Tranquil bra, Muscle Love crop top, and their all-new Sleet Sprint Jacket – not only are they high-performance so you will keep warm and dry during an intense sweat sesh, but they pull double duty in case you have a coffee date post workout! #winning

/// SHOP the LOOK ///

All photography by Henry Young

This post was sponsored by lululemon a brand I genuinely endorse for their incredible athletic gear.