One the most common things in January are New Year’s Resolutions. Whether it is eating better, managing stress, exercising more, spending more time with family and less time at work. People make these goals with the best of intentions and start off strong, however, by February or March, most have already fallen off. Studies have shown 80% of resolutions fail. In order to be successful, a plan is imperative. If you want to achieve a goal by November, think about what you need to do by July to make it happen. Next, think about what you need to do in the next month to start working toward July. Then, think about what you need to do today to make that happen.
Start small, start achievable and don't overwhelm yourself. A common mistake is trying to bite off a large, difficult task all at once without small milestones to help you stay motivated and see progress. Changing a major aspect of your lifestyle is incredibly difficult (eating healthy), changing one thing (drinking less soda or eating a vegetable every meal) is much easier. Another important step is to find some accountability. Whether it is a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or signing up for a service; seriously think about and decide on someone or something that WILL KEEP YOU ACCOUNTABLE. Detour from the friend that will say “oh it is ok, try again next year” when you stumble. You want the partner that says, “no, go do this, you got this” and actually HELPS YOU! Whatever your goal is, work hard, work on the short-term goals, stay motivated and be held accountable so you are part of the 20% that succeed.