It means a fresh start is once again here for us. A lot of people use the month of January to welcome a fresh start. As a new year’s tradition, people draw up their new year’s resolution and we all know how that ends – with us feeling inadequate and frustrated. Research has proven that only one out of four people are able to stand by their new year’s resolutions. One reason why we never end up following our resolutions is that we set unrealistic expectations on ourselves.

People who do succeed in their new year’s resolutions set achievable goals for themselves. Changing is a long process. It’s hard to break old habits and it’s even harder to make new ones. Therefore, you have to approach changing by taking one small step at a time. By doing so, you will feel more accomplished and fulfilled and thus motivated to continue changing. Reward yourself for every successful step and set more challenging targets as you move forward.

Sharing your new year’s resolution to your friends and family is also one way of making sure that you do end up following them. You do not want to look like a failure in front of people you care about and this is turn will serve as your motivation.

How to succeed in changing?

Plan ahead of time! Plan your resolution ahead of time. Make sure that you have thought it out well and how it would affect your life.

Your resolution should only be about you… You don’t have to conform to the resolutions that people around you are making. It has to be about you and you alone.

Move on from failed resolutions don’t get hung up with resolutions that you failed to achieve in the past. Move on and set new, realistic and achievable goals.

Instead of making a list of resolutions, try to only set one for this year. According to studies, it is more likely for a person to follow a resolution if it’s just one and the chances of success are also higher.

Don’t be too hard on yourself A key to succeeding in following your resolutions is to make sure that you acknowledge your humanity. We are all humans and we are creatures with a lot of flaws. The moment you accept that we are not perfect, the easier it will be for you to follow the resolutions you have set for yourself. Reward yourself for the good things you have done.

Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is a process that makes you focus on the messages that your body is trying to send you. This holistic approach will help you value your worth as a person. This will also help you stay in touch with your core, your values and your sense of morality. It helps build stronger relationships by making you a happier and more satisfied person. Resolutions are not difficult to achieve if you have a strong frame of mind and supportive people around you.