We’ve all been there.

We’ve all made a long list of life-changing goals on New Year’s Eve to carry out for the new year and even made vows to achieve those goals no matter what. We’ve also all experienced the stage of giving up a week or two later, telling ourselves that we were too busy or just couldn’t do it.

As a result, we never actually follow through with the New Year’s resolutions that had so much potential just days ago. This cycle of hope and crushed dreams needs to stop, and here’s how you can stop it.

In order to achieve these resolutions, the first step is to set specific goals. Instead of vowing to get fit for the upcoming year, write down the areas of muscles you want to work on and how you’ll work on them. Write down how many times a week you’ll hit the gym, and how long you’ll stay each time. Instead of writing that you’ll procrastinate less, set a time that you will start homework every day, and download extensions that will help you focus. With specific goals, you can actually hold yourself accountable.

Not only do you need specific goals, but you also need realistic ones.

If you work three nights a week and like to have fun on weekends, don’t expect yourself to follow through with the “hit the gym five times a week” plan. Instead, set goals that are actually compatible with your schedule. A smaller changeup from your regular schedule prevents your brain from freaking out and trying too hard to accommodate for sudden changes and giving up after two weeks. Both your body and your brain would be much happier with a plan to “go to the gym three times a week, including 30 minutes of cardio with a specific focus on arms or back or abs afterward” than a simple resolution to “work out more”.

Old habits die hard, and new ones take time to form. Usually, if you can continue your resolution past the one month mark, you can achieve it for the rest of the year. Before that one month mark, however, you will be inclined to go back to your old habits that were lazier and definitely more comfortable.

These few weeks are the most arduous, and knowing that it will get better can motivate you to follow through these resolutions. Although it is easy to just give up, the mental and physical boost you can get from actually achieving a New Year’s resolution makes the unpleasant few weeks worthwhile. In these weeks, motivate yourself with incentives on days when you feel like you absolutely want to quit.

Buy yourself some quality, fresh food instead of microwaved food for once if you manage to finish all your work by your set time. Allow yourself to sleep in one day if you manage to actually go to the gym three times a week. These little incentives can help you survive the hardest trial weeks and finally recognize your new lifestyle as a regular habit.

Following through with New Year’s resolutions is definitely hard, but with enough motivation and willpower, anyone can achieve their goals.