Every year, countless people set New Year’s Resolutions, and every year many of us fail within the first month of the new year. So, how can we set resolutions and goals we’ll actually succeed at in 2018?

Here are some tips:

Have Realistic Expectations. Yes, it sounds impressive to have all these incredible feats you want to tackle, but know your limit. If you’ve never run a day in your life, yet expect to run a marathon in a couple months, you could be setting yourself up for failure. Start with small steps, and work your way to your goals. Expecting to start and jump immediately to the finish line won’t be beneficial.

Set Clear Goals. Be specific, and clear with your goals. The more clear you are about what it is you’re trying to accomplish, the easier it will be. With bigger goals, set mini goals and benchmarks to keep your motivation up along your journey.

Get Support. How will you expect to start (and keep) a clean eating life style if you’re surrounded by people who not only eat the junk you’re trying to stay away from, but keep tempting you to partake in their bad eating habits too? Or, if you want to quit smoking, stop spending all your time around active smokers. Instead, surround yourself with like-minded people who will better support you and your goals.

Be Prepared. Making resolutions isn’t the battle. Executing these resolutions and sticking with them are. So really think them through. Have a plan for your resolutions and you’ll be more likely to stick with it.

Choose Your Resolutions For You. Don’t set resolutions for other people. If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, do it for you, not because someone else told you to.

Don’t Rely On Other People. Your New Year’s Resolution are yours. Set goals you can accomplish by yourself.

Believe In Yourself. The mind believes what you tell it to believe. If you don’t think you can accomplish a particular goal, chances are you probably won’t. Believe in yourself and that you truly are capable of accomplishing your goals.

Give Yourself a Break. Don’t be too rigid on your New Year’s resolutions. Sometimes we set goals that sound good in theory, but don’t quite fit our lifestyle. Resolutions can be adjusted. The idea of setting resolutions is to make steps towards your goals. If succeeding at a resolution is the goal, the steps leading to your goal is the journey. Sometimes we have to take a detour on our journeys, and that’s OK. Just keep moving forward, and when one day at a time becomes too much, take it half a day at a time.

Here’s hoping you have a successful and happy New Year!