November and December are months full of joyous celebrations, family gatherings, and lots of tasty treats for many. January, however, is the month of the dreaded new years resolution. Many people make some sort of new years resolution and a huge number of those resolutions fail within days, weeks, or months. Whether you resolve to have better time management, save more money, improve your health and beauty, learn a new skill, or develop a hobby, resolutions can be challenging. Just because they can be a challenge does not mean they have to be a chore. New years resolutions can be a fun way to start something new or get back on track, and there are some tips and tricks to help ensure your dedication to the task.

Be Optimistic While Also Realistic
Often people start out with extremely ambitious goals. While this is not a bad thing, if an end goal seems unattainable it is more likely that you will give up in defeat. For example, if the most exercise you’ve had in the last 5 years is walking to the end of the driveway to get your mail it is probably too ambitious to resolve to climb Mount Everest. A more realistic goal would be to exercise at least 3 hours per week and participate in a local 5 kilometer race.

Hold Yourself Accountable
Find a buddy or a group that you can count on to help hold you accountable to your goal. Sometimes it is easy to disappoint yourself, but hard to let someone else down. Choose someone you trust to help keep you on track. It’s easy to give up a resolution to read more if no one is asking you about what you are reading. Maybe join a book club or just find a friend that also enjoys reading and discuss the books over lunch once a month.

Set Small Goals to Help Reach the Big Goal
Sometimes a resolution can be so broad it is difficult to know where to start. A common new years resolution, made and broken by many, is to lose weight. If immediate results are not seen, it can be easy to give up very quickly. If you aim to lose weight and get in better shape, come up with a game plan. Perhaps resolve to walk at least 5 miles a week and give up sugary drinks. This may seem small in the grand scheme of things, and once this small goal becomes part of everyday life it is a great idea to add in additional changes.

Write It Down
If we make a resolution in our head and don’t say it out loud or write it down, it is easy to let it slip out of mind. Take the added step and write it down. Just seeing it in print can help if enthusiasm toward your goal starts to dwindle.

Happy New Years Resolution making!