Have a defined goal. It helps to be clear about what you want to achieve and why. This will help you stay focused. And understanding why it's important to you will help keep you motivated - especially if things don't go according to plan. For example: "My goal is to play in a social netball league twice a week. This will help me to de-stress, so I don't take work worries home with me."

Give yourself a deadline. It also helps to be time-specific. With a target date in mind, you can plan more easily. Say your goal is to be able to run for 30 minutes non-stop, in a month's time. In week one you might start by running for 10 minutes on alternate days. Then upping the time to 15 minutes in week two, before gradually increasing the time in weeks three and four till you've reached 30 minutes.

Develop role models. Observing those you admire is a great strategy for achieving your goals. Whether it's a public figure, member of your family, workmate, friend, or neighbour. Try to model your behaviour on theirs. Observe what they do, and consider their philosophy. Could you make that work for you? You don't have to copy them exactly - just pick elements of their behaviour that make sense for you.

Think about roadblocks and ways around them. There may be something stopping you from achieving your goal that could be easily fixed. For example, if you normally stay at the office later than everyone else, you're probably too tired to go to the gym when you finally leave. So think about how you might leave the office in time for that 6pm class, or are there meetings you can get out of? Could you plan your day better? Or will it really hurt to leave whatever it is until tomorrow?

Visualise your goals. Some of the most successful people form images of themselves achieving their goal. As silly as it sounds, visualisation helps the brain convert images into reality. If doing a duathlon is your goal, picture yourself with your arms in the air, crossing the finish line, your kids bursting with pride. Imagine the almighty buzz of finishing to a cheering crowd. How confident you'll feel knowing that you've made it all the way. Training on a rainy day will be much easier with this image in mind!

Focus on what feels good. Getting up early for a run may not feel like instant fun. But be excited! How good will you feel striding onto the footie pitch on Saturday morning knowing you won't struggle to make it through the game? Even if some of the steps to achieve your goal are not instantly gratifying, the overall feeling of success will be worth it in the end.

Break your goals up. It's great to have a long-term goal. But think also about the short-term goals you need to get there. For example, if it's been a while since you've donned a pair of trainers, you might not want to put a half-marathon on your to-do list. Work up to your goal in increments - in this instance by making sure you can easily complete 2km then 5km before taking on longer distances.

Evaluate and reassess. Circumstances can change. You may not have captured what you really wanted. Maybe your goal was to play a team sport regularly by Christmas, but you tried netball, and it wasn't for you. It could be that you really wanted a couple of buddies to exercise with regularly. So make adjustments! Could you get together a walking or running group, and arrange to meet twice a week instead?

Set new goals. Why stop at one? Once you've reached your goal, challenge yourself to do something else. If you can cycle 20km on the flat in 30 minutes, why not add a couple of hills?

Celebrate success. Finally, don't forget to congratulate yourself on your achievements - no matter how big or small. Cook a special dinner; steal a few moments to read your favourite book. Or at the very least, give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back.