With the New Year in full swing, resolution season is upon us. During this time, many people make resolutions to better themselves or their lives for the new year. However, these goals are not always feasible to maintain.

Coming up with resolutions can be quite easy, especially when reflecting on the year prior. You can ask yourself what you did not enjoy about last year or consider whether or not there is something you want to improve on. However, people can tend to get ahead of themselves when coming up with these goals.

Everyone understands the struggles of trying to make a then stick with resolutions in the New Year. After tasty treats are consumed during the holidays, many try to focus on healthy resolutions like eating cleaner or exercising more. For those in college the resolutions might be focused more towards staying on top of school work and avoiding procrastination during the semester. But, how do we get these resolutions to stick past February?

First, it is important to realize that change and growth will occur throughout the entire year and not just right in the beginning. In addition, do not put yourself down for not having a “new years resolution,” you can better yourself at any time. Therefore, aim to start small and make an effort to change only one behavior or achieve a single goal at a time.

Tips for upholding your goals throughout the year:

1. Make your goals specific. Set goals that adhere to your lifestyle and what you want to accomplish. It could as easy as drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning, trying to eat one salad per day, or going to the gym on your day off. Try to stay away from vague goals such as going to the gym more often or procrastinating less because there is no clear, direct outcome and that makes it much easier to fall off the goal train.
2. Write your goal(s) down. Whether it’s in a journal, on a post it note, or in your phone, writing the goal down will help you remember it and hold yourself accountable. Bonus points if you write it down where you can see them everyday. This will give you a constant reminder that might help you to remember why you are doing it and to keep up with it.
3. Find a buddy. Resolutions can be intimidating, especially if they will eventually lead to a bigger change in your life, but when you have a friend that is working toward making a similar change, you can both use this to each other’s advantage and motivate each other. Even if your goals are different, telling your family or friends about your goal can allow other people aside from yourself hold you accountable for the goal as well.
4. Celebrate every victory, even the small ones. If you followed your resolutions for a few days, for a week and then a month, allow yourself to celebrate that. Treat yourself to some new clothes or shoes, take yourself out to eat, etc. You deserve it. Post your accomplishment to social media for an extra confidence boost where people will like and comment on it to cheer you on. This could even motivate other people to model your success.