Making Your New Year's Resolutions Stick

Over half of all Americans who make New Year’s resolutions will abandon them by June. Avoid the New Year’s resolution trap with the following tips:

1. Keep resolutions simple and specific.

Don’t try to change your entire lifestyle all at once. Making small, manageable, precise resolutions that address one area of your life at a time is key to your success at keeping those resolutions. For example, if you want to begin an exercise routine, don’t give yourself a very broad, vague goal like “start exercising”. Resolve instead to make it to the gym for at least 30 minutes 3-4 days a week. Once that behavior has become a habit, you can make the next small step forward.

2. Share your resolutions with family and friends.

When you make your resolutions known, not only do you have a greater support system for achieving your goal, but you hold yourself accountable for following through with those resolutions.

3. Surround yourself with positive reinforcement.

Avoid people who bring you down or don’t share your motivation to move forward in a positive way, and instead look for those who make you feel good inside when you’re around them. Similarly, reward yourself when you meet your individual goals, and don’t beat yourself up when you backslide. Perfection is an unattainable ideal, so some minor missteps are unavoidable. When these little mistakes threaten to undermine your progress, just remind yourself that tomorrow is a whole new day and a whole new opportunity to get back on track.