It may only have been about two weeks since you made your resolutions, but chances are there are some of us who are already struggling to keep them and maybe even some who have already given up. I’m never very good at coming up with resolutions but I think this year I was able to finally come up with some smart ideas, and ones that I will actually be able to keep. If you, like me, didn’t actually make any resolutions on New Year’s Day, it is not too late to set yourself some goals for the coming year. 

The key to actually fulfill any resolution is to make it attainable. This means being specific, a vague statement like “be more spontaneous” is hard to accomplish because it is open-ended. Giving yourself a goal like “learn Spanish” is easier to accomplish because you will be able to recognize an end point. Resolutions can be hard enough to keep, do not set yourself up to fail before you even start.

Another important thing to remember about resolutions is that in order to successful, they have to be realistic. Resolving to drastically change in a year is hard for anyone to accomplish. The goals must also be realistic for your lifestyle, if you know you don’t have the time or the motivation to exercise or diet, then resolving to drop 40 pounds will be impossible. Your goals need to fit your lifestyle and be attainable in order for you to ever reach them.

Lastly, in order to really make a resolution stick you have to remember it! Sometimes life just gets crazy and before you know it, it’s April, and you haven’t made any progress with your resolutions. Writing your resolutions down somewhere or coming up with another way to remind yourself of the goals you set will help you stick to them throughout the year.

This year I made a short list of goals for myself in areas i felt i needed improvement that I know I am capable of achieving:

  1. Always taking off my makeup before bed
  2. Organizing my closet and room once a month
  3. Drinking more water
  4. Cooking more
  5. Writing more thank you notes

What are your goals for 2012? How are you doing with them so far?