Almost everyone in the world has a resolution to do something different in the new year but then why is it that some people actually accomplish their goals while others fail miserably? To help you out with your New Year’s resolution here are 10 helpful tips on how to make your new year’s resolution stick.

Give yourself some leeway

In order for it to be feasible for you to change your habits you need to give yourself a little leeway. In studies they have found that when giving people a resolution to do something everything single day most of them don’t stick to it but if given the option to do it every single day with the exception of one or two days they were more likely to stick to their goal. So give yourself a little room to wiggle instead of making yourself feel trapped in your new resolution. 

Piggyback on existing habits and build on your goals

Piggybacking involves taking something you want to start doing regularly and connecting it to something that you already do regularly. This builds an association in your brain making it easier to keep on track with your resolution. Then using the same logic you can build off of your achievements accomplishing more and more of your goals.

Make it public

When making a resolution don’t keep it a secret. By telling other people you are holding yourself accountable to complete your resolution. You feel obligated to stick to your resolution because you don’t want to appear as a lier or like you  can’t follow through with things that you say you will.

Don’t Set Impossible Goals  

Probably one of the most logical steps in keeping your goals is to make them realistic. Sometimes called a “Dead Man’s Goal” Impossible goals are resolution killers. Goals like “I will NEVER eat cake again” or “I will NEVER wear pants again” while you might think this is for the best (for whatever reason) you will more than likely not succeed.

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead is vital for motivation. It’s how you measure your success, a way to assess your progress towards your goal. Buying a calendar or planner to plan your actions for the coming weeks/months/year and it is very helpful in deciding when to evaluate.

Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day

Even if you make a mistake and slip up on your goal that’s okay because Rome wasn’t built in a day just like habits can’t be changed overnight. Sometimes you might fall off the horse but the important thing is to refocus your attention and keep going.

Be Specific

Without some definition and boundaries, your intentions can get lost. “Save money” is a good goal, but how and how much?  The more detail you give the easier it is to follow through by staying focused on what you need to do in order to succeed. Setting specific goals also keeps you going.

Start With a Bang

Science suggests that if we can get ourselves to try something intensively for even as short a period of a month than we can start a lasting change in behavior. So even if you can’t rely on yourself to stick with something for the long run, there is still a huge benefit in putting that burst of energy for even a few weeks. Who knows, it may pay off for longer than you think?

Celebrate the Little Victories

If your doing good don’t forget to reward yourself! Just make sure that your rewards don’t interfere with your goal. Just keep going and don’t look back. If you focus on the endgame too much it can discourage your progress after only a month. That why it is so important to celebrate who you are and how far you have come.