1. It’s almost a brand new year and with that comes the inevitable New Year’s resolutions. Maybe you want to lose weight and/or get in shape. Maybe you want to quit smoking. Perhaps you wish to do something more creative, like starting a daily journal, finishing a novel or learning a new language. You eagerly set all those things in January and by February, all your efforts are gone- if they even last that long. Why is it so difficult to make a resolution that works?

Why Resolutions Fail

2. Most resolutions fail not because you lack good intentions but because if you truly wanted to make a lasting change in your life, you wouldn’t have to wait for a special day to do it. You’d already be taking steps to attain your goal and you wouldn’t allow one setback to derail or defeat the other steps you’d already taken to achieve that goal.

3. That is exactly the practice you need to follow should you really wish to bring lasting changes to your life. So, instead of thinking of a New Year’s resolution as an all-or-nothing proposition where one slip-up derails your entire effort, create a mindset that any and all progress toward your goal is worthy of reward. Rather than focusing on the negatives, focus on the progress you have made.