Every New Year, millions of Americans and multitudes around the world make their New Year’s resolutions, committing to change for the better in all sorts of ways. Unfortunately, the vast majority of those people abandon their resolutions by February. The reasons that resolutions fail are as diverse as the people who make them. But there are practical steps you can take to make committing to your resolutions more likely. If you want to see your resolutions go the distance in 2023, try these helpful tips. 

Be realistic.

One of the primary reasons resolutions fail is because they are overly ambitious. Be realistic about what’s possible in one year. For example, you might not be able to eliminate all of your debt in just one year. But you can certainly cut down on it. Resolutions that are too far removed from reality are almost certain to fail. Instead of opting for radical change, focus on smaller goals that you can accomplish through habitual action over time. 

Be specific.

When a goal is specific, it’s measurable. And when a goal is measurable, you can easily determine what success is. Instead of having a nebulous resolution like losing weight, attach a specific value to it. How much weight do you want to lose? (remember to be realistic.) When do you want to have lost it by? How are you going to measure your results?Considering questions like these will help you set specific and measurable goals that are easier to stick with than something more vague.

Have someone to hold you accountable.

When you go at your resolutions alone, if you quit, the only person it matters to is you. But if you work towards your resolutions with a partner or a group, there are more people to hold you accountable. That external encouragement and communal commitment can make all the difference when it comes to sticking to your resolutions. So, try to find at least one person who can help keep you accountable as you pursue your resolutions.

Reward yourself.

Set milestones and reward yourself. Say you have a goal of reading at least one book a month in the New Year (remember to be specific), do something to celebrate after each completed book. The dopamine hit and warm fuzzy feels can give you extra motivation to stay the course.