It is almost the end of the year again with October fast taking us properly into the last quarter of the year. One often sits back and thinks about what they have achieved since the beginning of January and one of the areas that we look to first is that of our health.

No doubt we were filled with the optimism that the start of a new year brings and of course all of the great resolutions that we manage to come up with. Eating and living healthy is often at the top of the agenda. We say we are going to lose pounds, cut out fat, stay away from cake and a variety of other good measures. This tends to be combined with unrealistic expectations and we soon disappoint ourselves and good back to our bad habits.

Why not try something different this year and embark on a process of resolutions a few months earlier. This way, by the time New Year comes around you would have enjoyed a great head start and you are likely to keep your resolutions more effectively.

The first point that you have to note is that you should have realistic goals and try to introduce any dietary or exercise changes gradually. You can do this on a weekly basis and a calendar can be a great tool for this. Plan your new habits by the week and make sure that you set a goal for yourself at the end of every two weeks – remember it shouldn't just be about the pounds, you should include the inches too.

A great way of carrying this new lifestyle forward into next year is by ensuring that you get a calendar early. There are already some forward thinking organizations that have got great calendars available for 2010. This is certainly true of WomensHeatlth.gov which has free 2010 calendars available. They are focused primarily on women and the calendars not only have great graphics but can also act as an inspirational tool on those days where you maybe don't feel like being good.

Order one today and use this calendar as a tool to ensure a healthier and happier you. Remember to reward yourself with pampering gifts and a cheat day now and then. It is important that you don't work too hard and remember to be realistic. Your head start is going to take you into a great 2010.