Every year, people all over the world make a decision to stick to a goal for the new year. The figurative starting over provides the perfect launching off point. However, making a lasting change is easier said than done. Most people who make a New Year’s resolution give up on it a month or two in at most. So how are you going to do things differently this year? We’ve got you covered!

Be Clear About Your Resolution

The first thing people do wrong when making a New Year’s resolution is that they’re not clear about what they want to achieve. Get specific and really know what you want to change or accomplish this year. Don’t be afraid to go into as much detail as possible. By doing this you make a real intention and you give yourself a defined goal that is easy to make a path of success for.

Make a Plan

Step two is to make a plan. Things don’t stop at having a goal. You need to know how you’re going to execute it. Write things down. Put your goal at the top of the page and then write down everything you can think of that will go into pulling it off. If you don’t know what you’ll need to do, that’s okay. Try to think of anything related and put it down. This will serve as a blueprint for your task and give you clear areas to work on.

Be Accountable

People often suffer one or two setbacks and give up. Don’t be that that kind of person. You’re stronger than that. If you have a misstep of mess up, brush it off and keep going. Failure is a necessary part of any goal. You’re not likely to do everything right every time, so don’t create unrealistic standards for yourself. Let any mistakes serve as lessons and motivations for getting your goal to become a reality.

Don’t Stop There

Maybe you set yourself a small goal or maybe you just pushed through it and got it done sooner than you thought. Don’t lose your momentum. Make a new goal and let your success propel you forward. You don’t need to wait until the new year to start your next goal. There’s no better time than the present!