10 Tips for Maintaining Your Resolutions

1. Choose attainable goals: A good resolution should be a challenge, but not some- thing so out of reach that you have no hope of achieving it.

2. Make your goals simple and specific: Vague goals like “eat more vegetables” are

harder to maintain and track than something specific like “eat 3 servings of vegetables every day.”

3. Break your resolution into smaller goals: An ambitious resolution may seem

overwhelming, but when broken into smaller tasks that can be completed over the year, the same resolution can be much easier to tackle.

4. Reward yourself as you go: A successful resolution is made up of every day victories, and those small wins are worth small rewards.

5. Keep a positive attitude, and your eyes on the prize: After a hard day at the gym

or when you have to give up something you enjoy for your resolution, it’s im- portant to remember why you started in the first place. Keep the end in mind, and think of how grateful you’ll be that you stuck it out when you reach your goal.

6. Build a routine that leaves time for your resolution: Resolutions mean change,

and that means your schedule will have to adapt too. If you’re eating healthier or saving more money, leave extra time for planning and budgeting.

7. Enlist the help of friends and family: A lot of people who make resolutions keep

them a secret to avoid the embarrassment of failure, but telling your loved ones is a good motivator to continue working hard.

8. Create an outline: Like accomplishing a long essay, writing out a plan for your resolution will help you stay organized and on track.

9. Document your progress: Track weight loss, write down obstacles and small suc-

cesses. As you do, you’ll build a log of your progress to look back on if you’re feeling sluggish or defeated.

10. Accept mistakes: With New Years’ resolutions a day missed or a diet broken can

seem like a deal-breaking mistake, but the real mistake would be giving up every time you slip up.