Out with the old and in with the new; 2021 is over and people are setting their new goals for the upcoming year. But, many people set New Year’s resolutions in late December or early January and subsequently forget them by February. Most people don’t succeed in their New Year’s resolution and the largest problem many people face is simply finding the will to do or comply with it.

The first thing you have to do is make sure that your goal is possible and measurable. You should be able to complete this goal and there should be a set time that you hope to do it by. Making sure that your goal is measurable is vital in being able to tell if you completed it or if you’re satisfied with the result. For example, let’s say your goal was to gain weight and by the end of the year, you’re six pounds heavier than you were the year prior. Sure, you definitely met your goal, but perhaps you wanted to gain more or less. It’s easy to set a vague goal, technically complete said goal, and still feel unsatisfied with your results. In order to better your chances of achieving precisely what you want to, your goal should be explicit in it’s wording and your intention.

The next thing you have to do is create a plan. Say, for instance, that your goal is to eat a healthy dinner everyday by March. Some of your work to achieve said goal should be looking into how you would define healthy, how to make healthy meals, and getting healthier groceries. Your plan should thoroughly outline exactly what recipes you need to do and when you plan to do it. This way, you can have a timeline of how you should progress in completing your goal.

Make a gradual change. If your New Year’s resolution has to do with making a major lifestyle change, don’t jump into it headfirst. Making a sudden change like that can lead to exhaustion. If you instead make a gradual shift over two months, it will become your new normal and you’ll be less inclined to want to revert back to how your life was before it.

Find motivation. Something different works for everyone, so if you struggle with motivation, keep trying different things until you find the thing that works the best for you. Here are a few things you can try:

• Body doubling: Find someone to help keep you accountable, whether it be them also participating in working toward your goal or simply being in the room with you while you work on it.

• Reward system: Whenever you complete an activity that relates to your goal, reward yourself. It gives you an incentive to keep working on it.

• Break it down: Split your goal into smaller mini goals. That way, instead of waiting for the desired outcome to arrive to feel satisfied and proud, you have more of an opportunity to take a break and feel proud of yourself for accomplishing something even if you don’t achieve your end goal.

At the end of the day, one of the largest driving factors in completing a New Year’s resolution is being willing to put in the effort to do it. So, for those who are willing to put in the effort to complete their New Year’s resolution, hopefully this has helped you in your journey to accomplish your goal.