Making NewYear’s resolutions is a fun tradition to share among friends and family or to simply do for yourself. However, while many people make New Year’s resolutions, not that many follow through on them. To help you reach your goals this year, here is a simple guide for how to make resolutions you will keep.

Decide on One Main Resolution
A common mistake people make when it comes to New Year’s resolutions is making too many. Focusing on more than one resolution at a time will make you feel stretched thin and can quickly become overwhelming. Between work, family, and other aspects of your life, you may not have the time, for example, to both establish a steady workout routine and to overhaul your entire diet. Devote your energy to one main goal first, and you can always start on another once your first one is achieved.

Focus on Building New Habits
Another reason why resolutions often fail is that people attempt to get rid of bad habits without establishing better habits to replace them. For example, perhaps you made a resolution to order in food less often, but you’re not making the time and effort to learn new recipes you can make at home and so you continue to eat takeout. Instead of resolving to stop doing something, try to develop healthier behaviours that will make your old ones obsolete. A simple shift in focus can make all the difference.

Be Realistic and Specific
Just like making too many resolutions can set you up to fail, so can setting an unrealistic one. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and make a resolution that you know you can achieve. Rather than vowing to run a full marathon by the summertime, you can commit to running a half or even just a mini-marathon. It can also help to be very specific with your resolutions. Instead of a resolution such as “get more exercise,” say you’ll start by going to the gym three times a week.

Make a Detailed Plan
Even if you have a clear vision of where your New Year’s resolution is going to take you, it’s also important to have a clear idea of how. Map out the steps you need to take to make your resolution happen, such as getting a gym membership if you want to get in shape, making a grocery list if you want to eat healthier, or making a budget if you want to save more money. Setting a timeline can also help keep you on track, but do cut yourself some slack if you fall behind. The most important thing is to keep making progress.

This New Year’s, give yourself a better chance of keeping your resolution by picking the right one, focusing on positive change, being realistic, and making a solid plan to follow it through. Paired with the right resolve, these strategies will help you reach your goals.