On Jan. 1, Patrick Smith stepped through the glass doors leading into Pyramid Sports Performance Center in Lehighton, one of the newbies, setting out on a journey toward a healthier, fitter lifestyle.

As the weeks tick by, the New Year’s crowd thins. By the end of March, only a small percentage will remain.Smith is determined not to be a statistic.What makes him different? Attitude.“I just needed to make a complete change, not so much a resolution,” says the Jim Thorpe man. “I wanted a new mindset.”The fact that he began this journey on the first of the year was purely coincidental.Smith has taken strides toward improving his health and fitness before, but has failed.“My mindset is different this time. I enjoy coming here and it’s been a good release for me. It’s therapeutic, both mentally and physically. I think that’s because I’m doing it the proper way this time.”Smith says he’s happy with the people he’s met at the Pyramid, who have not only been able to help him understand the machines, but help him implement his goals. One of those people would be Thommie Wilson, director of operations at the Pyramid, and Smith’s new trainer.“He set up the basics,” says Smith. “He got me started and interested again.”Wilson says the Pyramid experienced a 25 percent spike in new members between Christmas and New Year’s, which is pretty typical. Of those new members, only about 5 percent will still be active by the end of March. He says he knew Smith would be one of the ones to stick with his fitness goals as soon as he met him.“He walked in and said ‘I don’t know what to do,’” Wilson says about the first time he met Smith. “That’s one of my favorite things to hear. It shows someone is open-minded and wanting to learn. We encourage everyone to ask questions. I’d much rather take five minutes out of my day and show someone proper form than to see someone hurt themselves.”“On the first I came in kind of cold,” says Smith. “I was so tight. I came to the desk and asked about (the stretch clinic). I didn’t feel confident enough to ask any questions before.”“That goes back to the attitude,” says Wilson, “and feeling comfortable to ask questions.”“I feel a different attitude,” says Smith. “I’m more positive. I have more energy. I wake up easier. I feel I’d really let myself go. After a couple surgeries, and during the process of healing, I got used to a sedentary lifestyle.”As Wilson works with Smith, he’ll be focusing on three main areas of concentration: strength and conditioning, healthy weight loss and attitude.“Weight training is huge,” says Wilson. “From free weights to machines.”Smith is also doing Plyometrics, which burns fat, boosts speed, increases power and helps with conditioning.To achieve a healthy weight loss, Smith will be doing appropriate cardio exercises to reduce his body mass index.The final component, and most important says Wilson, is attitude.“It’s number one to focus on. With negativity comes self-doubt, and with self-doubt, you can’t achieve the goals you’re trying to achieve.”And what is Smith’s goal?“I’m down about 5 pounds, which is good and I’m happy about that, but I’m not going to concentrate on my weight, just how things fit and feel.”“A lot of people get themselves hung up on weight-specific goals,” says Wilson. “Success at the gym isn’t always measured by the scale. I ask everyone to gauge their progress by how their clothes fit. When someone tells me they’re wearing a pair of jeans that hasn’t fit in a year or two, they’re doing fine.”As he progresses, Smith will focus on weight loss, but not on any specific numbers.Wilson says he weighs his clients once a month to keep a record in their chart, but if the client doesn’t want to know what those numbers are, he won’t share them.Smith wants to become stronger. He also wants to get off his blood pressure and high cholesterol medications. He believes that at the age of 51, he’s too young to be taking so much medication.He also wants to develop healthier habits and a healthier lifestyle.Wilson says the closer Smith gets to attaining those goals, the more likely his priorities will change, making healthy habits and lifestyle number one, and weight loss number four.“I vowed to never complain, and I haven’t. I’ll do whatever Thommie tells me to do the best that I can,” says Smith.Also helping to keep Smith on track during this journey is that he’s agreed to share his progress with Times News readers. We’ll be checking in with him and Wilson every few weeks to see how he’s doing and how he’s feeling.“I need to be accountable,” says Smith, “and (sharing his story) helps a great deal. I don’t want to fail.”Check future health pages for updates on Smith’s progress.