by Brittany Westerfield

Created on: December 12, 2008   Last Updated: December 15, 2008

As New Years rolls around we all notice something in our lives that need change. A New Years resolution seems perfect for the job. So what's a good resolution, and how do we make it successful? Well, there are five things to consider when making New Years resolutions.

1) Pick something healthy and positive. Deciding on becoming organized, patient, or healthier are great resolutions. These are positive, healthy, and shape you into a better person. However, choosing to have more money, a better job, or to marry that guy, are poor choices. They are not necessarily bad things, but they are things you don't really control, and wouldn't effect who you are, whether you obtained them or not. Pick a resolution that is positive and fits you

2) Be realistic. Making huge, unrealistic goals is a guarantee way to fail. Suppose you decide to become healthier, if that's where you leave it, that's bad. It's too vague and doesn't let you know what you're doing. There are many aspects to being healthy. There's the emotional side, eating right, and exercise. So what aspect are you going to work on? Even after answering this you still need to further simplify. To become emotionally stable, perfectly fit, or faithful to a diet for a whole year, is a lot to take on. Instead take baby steps towards those things. Decide to stretch and breathe deeply for fifteen minutes each day, relieving stress. Get some kind of exercise fifteen minutes each day. Try not eating in between meals. Whatever you choose for your New Years resolution simplify it. Look at your life style, and realize what you can and can't do.

3) Make a plan. You have your goal, now how do you go about accomplishing it? One way is to spread it throughout the year. Instead of doing your whole resolution everyday for the rest of the year, you can divide it up so that at the end of the year your goal is accomplished. For example, pick one baby step for getting healthier, and build on it each month. For the first month you might work on not eating in-between meals. Next month you'd add a new goal. You still continue in what you're doing, along with one new thing.

Also plan out your resolution and have a check off sheet for each month. Give yourself a checked off box for each day you do your resolution and complete your goal. This helps you see all the progress you have made, and will encourage you to keep going. Remember in panning your resolution to spread it out and make a check off sheet.

4) Don't feel behind. Many people, if

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