Wonder why your New Year's resolutions fail by the end of January? You're not alone. Nearly 90% of us who make a resolution fail to fulfill our resolutions for a whole year. Here's how the 10% that succeed do it.

1. GUIDE TO NEW
YEAR‟S
RESOLUTIONS

3.  Over 40% of us will make a New Year‟s Resolution
 Less than 10% of us will actually achieve our Resolutions
 Top Five Resolutions (according to the Journal of Clinical
Psychology):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Lose weight
Get organized
Save more money
Enjoy life
Get fit
Keep a
Resolution
<10%
Make a
Resolution
(40+%)

4. 1.
Unrealistic goals
 You‟re not going to get a six pack in a month, nor will your
retirement fund grow by 200% (if it does, please share you
secrets with us). While it‟s good to challenge yourself, your
resolutions should be something that you know you are
capable of.
2.
Proceeding alone
 Not involving any one else can doom you from the start by
allowing you to choose bad resolutions. Once you set of to
achieve these goals, you will have no one to motivate you
to succeed, and will also lack someone to push you
towards success. Getting a support system in place is a
must.

5. 3.
Not totally committed
 You‟ve figured out the what part, but lack the why you‟re doing it.
If you do not commit 100% to your goals, mentally, physically,
and emotionally, when the going gets tough it will be easier to
give up.
4.
Starting too fast
 If you haven‟t worked out in a while, don‟t sign up for a marathon
next month. Create goals that you can achieve right away, and
build as the year goes by. Allowing them to become part of your
daily life sets you up for long term changes.
5.
Incentive based resolutions
 If you reward yourself every time you achieve something, you
will likely become motivated by the reward, rather than achieving
your goals.

6.  “I‟ll go to the gym more.”
 What‟s your reason for going? Lost weight? Bulk up? How many times per week will you go? No end game, no
plan laid out to follow, no way to see if you succeed.
 “We will save more, and spend less.”
 Where are you going to cut your budget? Saving $100 more than last year really isn‟t going to get you very far.
Financial goals are the worst to be vague with, because they are the easiest to keep track of!
 “I want to enjoy my life more and just be happier!”
 What do you enjoy doing? Where are you the happiest? Instead of generally saying „I want to enjoy life more‟,
find out which activities put a smile on your face and resolve to spend more time doing them.

7. Now you know what NOT to
do when choosing your
resolutions for 2014. So, let‟s
switch gears to cover what
you SHOULD do to be in the
10% of people that actually
achieve their resolutions.
Quite honestly, it isn‟t all that
hard.
Follow these tips for
success!

8. Keep them
simple
Identify the
end game
As we covered,
avoid unrealistic
goals. Resolve to
do something
feasible, that you
can start doing it
right away.
In one year,
what will the
outcome of your
resolution be?
Set a clear,
concrete goal to
work towards.
Believe in
your
resolutions
Phase in
your
resolutions
If you buy in to
your goals, and
your ability to
achieve them,
working towards
the end game will
become much
easier.
Plan to start
with small
changes, and
gradually
expand once
you have
mastered them.

9. Win Each Day
Get a Support
Group
Plan For
Success
While setting a goal
is a start, you need
to develop the
process that will get
you there. What
changes will you
make daily, weekly,
and monthly?
Find others who have
also made resolutions
and help each other out.
Motivate when moral is
low, and congratulate
when milestones are
reached.
New Year‟s
Resolutions are a
marathon, not a sprint.
Track Your
Keep the end goal in
Progress
mind, but focus on the
Keep track of how your daily actions that will
changes are going. This take you there.
will give you a tangible
measure of how you are
doing.

10. Ready to make your best resolutions yet? Follow this formula for success:
Proclamation of definitive achievement
+ clear, tangible, realistic goal +
process you will implement to reach
said goal

11.  “In 2014, I will reduce my body fat to 12% by running for 30 minutes 4 times a
week, and only eating fast food once per week.”

12.  “In 2014, I will reduce my body fat to 12% by running for 30 minutes 4 times a
week, and only eating fast food once per week.”
Proclamation of definitive achievement (What you will accomplish this year, not what you want to
do.)
+
Clear, tangible, realistic goal (A specific workout goal, with a measurable end result.)
+
Process you will use to reach your goal (The actions and changes you will make in order to achieve
what you set out to do.)

14.  Set „should‟ goals
 Don‟t pick something just because that‟s the way it „should be‟. If you want to work out because
you feel like you „should‟ have a six pack, it will be easy to quit when it‟s not there in three months.
 Set vague goals
 “I want to lose weight.” Well how much? Through better diet, or exercising? Have a number of
pounds in mind? If you don‟t set a specific goal, how will you know if you achieve it or not?
 Rely on incentives
 If you reward yourself every time you practice your resolution, you are not changing, you‟re
reconditioning. If you reward yourself with a nice dinner out for every $100 you put into savings,
then you‟re not really saving $100, are you?
 Allow wiggle room
 If you let it slide once, the second time will be easier.

15. Take time to research clear, specific goals
 “I will lose 4 pounds every month, by going to the gym 4 times a week.” “I will invest $2,500
annually into a Roth IRA by depositing $210 a month.” Include a clear end result, as well as the
steps necessary to achieve this.
Find someone(s) to hold you accountable
 Your spouse, friends, a co-worker, someone who will call you out if you slip up, and motivate you
to see your goals through. After setting achievable goals and making a plan, this is your most
important key to success.
Track your progress
 Find an app on your phone or go old school with a journal. Either way, keep track of your daily
progress. This will help you find out what works, and point out any missteps that you make (most
likely there will be a few, so take note of them and learn!)

16.  Can it really be that simple? Yeah, actually, it really can be.
 Stick to this guide.
 Don‟t give up.
 Share your resolutions in the comments. We will do what we can to help!
 Happy New Years!