I hope you enjoyed your holidays and are ready to start a new year at Fairview. Perhaps over the break you had a chance to think about the past year – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Maybe you’ve even taken these reflections and come up with your very own New Year’s Resolution – which is the same as last year’s, and the year before that.

New Year’s Resolutions are notorious for being broken. The gym is packed for the first week of January, and by February it’s empty. The first few chapters in your textbook are highlighted, but you’re frantically reading most of it the night before your midterm. Here are some tips if you want to make sure that you’re successful in achieving your New Year’s Resolution this year (from Lia Steakley Dicker, editor of the 43 Things Book: Dream It. List It. Do It. How to live a Bigger & Bolder Life):

• Be deliberate: Resist the urge to impulsively make pledges for the upcoming year based on what’s bothering you at a specific moment. Spend a week, or longer, evaluating your priorities for the new year and think about how your resolution fits with these objectives. This is a great conversation to have with a friend, “Could you see me doing this goal, this year?”
• Leave the past behind: Refrain from adopting old resolutions to prevent past regrets from following you into the future. Instead, redefine failed goals. If “lose weight” didn’t work last year, consider the new approaches of “eat healthier” or “exercise five days a week”
• Stay positive: Swearing off bad habits such as “I will never bite my nails again” only emphasizes the forbidden behavior. For better results, cast resolutions in a flattering light and vow to “Take better care of my hands and nails”
• Shorten the deadline: Research has found 80%  of people don’t keep their resolution past Valentine’s Day. Maintain yours until July and you will have accomplished more than most. We’re betting the buzz you get from successfully making reaching the 6-month mark will carry you the rest of the year.
• Define the obstacles: Acknowledging and preparing for the challenges upfront allows you to better navigate bumps in the road ahead.
• Go public with your plans: Telling others about your goals helps you in a couple of ways. Writing the goals down and sharing with others can increase your sense of responsibility to meet your objectives. It also gives others insight into what you are trying to accomplish and opens new doors for support.

Check out the most popular resolutions (and add your own!) here