New Year’s resolutions are a time-honored tradition for millions of people. Every year, we promise to take a more active approach to our health and fitness, to improve our finances and savings, or to learn new skills for personal development. And yet, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, only 8% of people are successful. Why is that?

Making Your New Year’s Resolutions a Reality

Resolutions are much easier to make than to keep, and creating new habits takes time and energy, both of which we often lack when we don’t see changes overnight. However, while many people feel they don’t necessarily achieve their resolutions, those who set New Year’s resolutions are 10 times more likely to actually change their behavior than those who don’t make those goals.

1. Choose Specific Goals

Among the long list of New Year’s resolutions that people choose, “live a healthier lifestyle” undoubtedly tops the charts. We tend to pick overarching goals for our new year, thinking it will push us to make 5, 10, or 15 positive changes in pursuit of the one goal. And while it’s an admirable thought, focusing on something more concrete may make it more attainable.

For example, instead of deciding to “live a healthier lifestyle,” maybe you decide to run a 5K or include more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Whatever it may be, it’s important to make it an achievable goal and create a plan for how you are going to accomplish it throughout the year.

2. Don’t Dream Too Big

When we sit down to create a list of our resolutions, it’s so easy to get carried away with the things we want to change. And again, that isn’t necessarily a negative thing, but it also doesn’t set us up for success.

Staring down a long list of changes you need to make can quickly become daunting and feel overwhelming, leading to neglecting your resolutions altogether. Instead, pick your top three – the three things you want to accomplish most – and channel your energy into those. Focusing on only a few specific goals will make them much more achievable.

3. Plan, Plan, Plan

Every good idea needs a plan. Your goal is to run a 5K? Pick the date of the run. Decide how many days a week you’ll train for the run, how many miles each day. Your goal is to eat more vegetables? Choose the vegetables you like best to incorporate, add them to your grocery list, and make a food plan so you know what vegetable you’re eating each day.

Brainstorm the steps you’ll take, the reasons you want to make the change, and the ways you can keep yourself on track and accountable.

4. Commit

Now comes the hardest part. We get excited when we make plans for the future and we imagine how great it will be once we achieve those resolutions. And yet, inevitably, we all feel resolution fatigue – when the excitement wears off and we realize it’s not quite as much fun anymore.

When the going gets tough, forget perfection. Your resolution is to run a 5K? Set your sights on finishing it, not winning it. Remind yourself why you decided to make this your resolution and remember that change is a process and putting in just a little bit of work every day will lead to big lifestyle changes.

Making New Year’s resolutions can quickly become daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Remember that working towards them is a step in the right direction.