New Year’s resolutions will have you looking forward to reaching a goal

The coming of the New Year means room for new opportunities, new ideas and maybe, a new you.

New Year’s resolutions trace to ancient Roman mythology and the god Janus, where we get January. Janus had two faces. One of the faces looked to the future and the other face looked to the past. Romans believed that Janus could forgive them for their past actions while blessing them for the future. 

Over 66 million people make New Year’s resolutions in the United States, and those personal promises can lead to big improvements. Whether the resolution is to save money, get better grades or work out more often, looking forward to a goal can make each day purposeful. Making a promise to reach the goal makes it more likely that you will get there.

Here are a few tips to making resolutions and sticking to them:

• Be realistic. Make the goal specific  and achievable. Big goals are great, but don’t set yourself up for failure.
• Start with one goal, not several.
• Make a plan. What steps do you need to take to achieve your goal?
• Tell someone about your goal. Don’t keep it a secret. People will want to support you.
• Track your progress. Keeping a daily journal is one way to keep the journey real.
• Celebrate milestones along the way.
• Don’t beat yourself up. Change is hard, and slip ups are human. Instead of seeing them as failure, try to see them as learning opportunities.
• Keep trying. Take it a step at a time, recommitting to the goal every day.