During the holidays, we justify relaxing, eating what we please, and shelling out money more frivolously than usual. We spend the week before the New Year flipping through the pictures documenting our past 12 months, laughing with the friends that have made it out by our side, and brainstorming about what would make the upcoming year even better than the one we just experienced. However, when January first rolls around, we are trained to get “back to business.” While the feeling of a “new start” is extraordinary during this time, it is not exactly plausible to expect a lifestyle change overnight. Many of us become discouraged by roughly the third week of January, and our ideas for a “new and improved self” are out the window completely by the beginning of February. While New Year’s resolutions have exceptional intentions, they can also turn into a source of defeat if not properly contoured to your personal circumstances.

1. Make practical and realistic goals.

Many people’s New Year’s Resolutions relate to spending less, eating better, exercising more, or a combination. These are all wonderful objectives, but they can easily become a burden. For example, my New Year’s resolution was to stop drinking as much coffee. Let’s face it, I’m a college student — I have to stay regularly caffeinated. If my goal had been “Stop drinking coffee,” it would have lasted approximately three days, and that’s being optimistic. Instead, I set my goal to be, “No more than two cups of coffee each day.” This is manageable and sustainable. It’s also what I like to call a “lifestyle change” — it’s something I can continue to do in the long run, rather than the adjustment feeling like a temporary “diet.

2. Outline a plan to achieve your goals.

Like I mentioned, my intention was to limit myself to two cups of coffee every day. I also realized buying two cups of coffee from Starbucks was not optimal for my waist or my wallet — so I made it a point to buy enough coffee and creamer each week to last until my next venture to the grocery store. Placing structure behind your goals does not have to be treacherous, nor should it be. Having a method to your madness will help keep you on track!

3. Do not give up!

There are definitely mornings I wake up and think to myself, “Why on earth did I think this would be a good idea,” and that is okay! I personally find the gratification of making it through the entire day on merely two cups of coffee to be incredibly satisfying. You alone make the decision to get through another 24 hours. On the contrary, messing up is okay too! We are all human, and sometimes we cave. Just remember not to let your cheat day become your excuse to quit entirely. Many people forget that your New Year’s Resolution is just that — yours!

4. Acknowledge your progress.

My dad’s favorite line has stuck with me; he likes to remind people that, “Everyday you’re breaking records.” Sometimes it’s a lot harder to mentally work yourself up to doing something than it is to actually follow through with it. That one-mile run you were going on wasn’t the hard part, it was the one-mile run you did on 4 hours of sleep. Eating the salad wasn’t the difficult part, it was eating the salad when you were so stressed you could’ve inhaled a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Patting yourself on the back is not only important, it's absolutely necessary!

5. Reward yourself.

Once a week, I walk to the Starbucks across the street, and feel zero guilt in ordering my venti hot white mocha with four shots of espresso and paying $6.55. (Yes I know, that sentence made me realize I had a problem, too.) They say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Wrong. You know exactly what you have, which makes it so challenging to change your habits. But when I finally get that coffee, I swear those 20 ounces of pure bliss must have been sent down by God himself. You could consider this my “cheat meal” of sorts, but the bottom line is: when you work hard, you need incentive. Remember, life’s too short not to enjoy the small pleasures!

Whatever your New Year’s resolution may be, I wish you the best of luck and an abundance of success! And for those who already feel like you’ve fallen off the wagon, get back on. Remember, January is your free trial month!