A surefire plan to keep New Year’s resolutions

I will stop biting my nails.

I will stop eating chocolate.

I will quit smoking.

Sound familiar? You’ve likely made resolutions like these in years past. And like most people, you make the same resolutions year in and year out, only to return to the same old habits two weeks later.

Anyone can make New Year’s resolutions. But the hard part is sticking to them. To help you follow through with your goals, follow this plan:

Write it down. Record what you want to achieve and why. Each day, write down your progress toward your goal. That way, you’ll be able to keep yourself in check.

Tell a friend. Don’t try to achieve the goal on your own. Tell a friend or two who will support and encourage you along the way. The more people there are who know about it, the higher your likelihood is for success.

Seek resources. Read a book, visit some websites, join a support group, seek counseling, take a course. All these resources will give you the support you need so you don’t have to go through it alone.

Remind yourself. Visual cues will help you stay focused. Wrap a loose rubber band around your finger. Post a picture on the refrigerator. Creative reminders will help keep you on target.

Stay positive. Negative thinking will get you nowhere. Don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake or are taking a little longer than you thought to achieve your goal. Instead, focus on your success and happiness.

Don’t overextend yourself. In short, don’t make too many resolutions at one time. Instead, focus on one, maybe two goals that you strongly want to accomplish.

Plan ahead. Think about how you will achieve your goals, and plan for them accordingly. If you want to give up your morning donut, keep cereal on-hand for breakfast instead.

Set realistic goals. Make resolutions that you can really attain. Break them down into small steps, and assess what steps can be taken to reach those goals.

Achieve goals slowly. You don’t have to give up smoking and coffee on the same day. Take small steps over the course of time.

Remain flexible. Don’t just give up on a resolution if it isn’t working. Modify it. If you can’t exercise five times a week, try to exercise three times a week. It’s okay to make adjustments to your resolution as long as you still stick with it.