We all make new years resolutions in the hope that we’ll keep them up throughout the year, but the reality is that we usually fail them pretty soon. Research shows that it can only take a couple of months or less before people forget about their resolutions, or simply give up on them. So how can you ensure that you’ll stick to your goals and targets?

The key is to set realistic targets and goals. Don’t make them unrealistic because otherwise you’re setting yourself up to fail, make them small so that you can easily achieve them and keep them up, and then anything else that you do on top of that is a bonus which you’ll be able to feel really good about. Say for example you set yourself the goal of going to the gym 5 times a week. For some people who are gym enthusiasts, this may be achievable, but if you’re someone who has a Monday – Friday 9 – 5 job, you know that there will be many times where things will come up or your life will just be a bit too hectic to go to the gym. Instead, set yourself an easy target of maybe going to the gym 2 times a week. Then you can feel satisfied that you’ve achieved your goal, and any extra times you go you can feel really good about yourself for.

The same goes with anything, whether you’re saving up money, trying to get fit, or sticking to an eating plan.