It’s the new year, a perfect time to set a New Year’s resolution for oneself. Promising to make a change, and then not following through with it seems like a recurring theme to a lot of people, though. Sticking to a set goal can be hard; however, there are some easy ways to persevere and achieve those resolutions.

Think realistically. Resolutions won’t help anyone if they’re too unreasonable. For instance, promising to cut back on dessert intake is easier to achieve compared to promising to never eat desserts again.

Tell others about it. Support and guidance can be a huge help when trying to keep resolutions. Friends and family can encourage you to do better. Also, sharing goals with another person is a plus because you can motivate each other.

Track your progress. Write down your small successes. Doing this will keep you on track.

Keep at it. A Huffpost article, “How Long Does It Actually Take to Form a New Habit,” said, “In other words, if you want to set your expectations appropriately, the truth is that it will probably take you anywhere from two months to eight months to build a new behavior into your life…” Keeping at your resolutions will almost make them automatic.

Continue trying. If you find yourself forgetting or neglecting your resolutions, don’t be discouraged. Start over again from scratch, and re-encourage yourself.

Small steps can lead to great progress, so don’t give up and persist to keep those resolutions!