Do you ever make New Year resolutions only to see them broken in a few days or months? Have you stopped making resolutions because you never seem able to keep them? Here are five simple steps to help you make and keep your resolutions.

Step 1: Write them down

Committing your resolutions to paper is a very powerful way to help you keep them. Putting them on paper is in itself almost a commitment to keep to them. It also helps you to clarify your thoughts. By putting resolutions down on paper, you turn them from vague thoughts into potential actions. It is always easier to work toward something that is written down rather than a thought that is kept in your head and is subject to change at a whim. Once written down, you can display your resolutions anywhere you wish, on a wall, in your diary, on your screensaver, anywhere that you can refer to and use as a reminder.

Step 2: Tell someone else.

Telling someone else your resolutions can help you to keep to them. The other person can help, prompt and support you. Be careful who you tell though, do not tell someone who is likely to tease or ridicule you, make sure it is someone you can trust. By telling someone else, you are sharing your resolution with them, this has the added edge in that they can help you measure your progress or success. Should you slip from your resolution, they can help you get back on track. If you start to fail, they will be there to prompt you back again.

Step 3: Break them down into manageable steps.

Too many people set their resolutions in grand terms that they know they are not likely to achieve. The key to setting resolutions, as in goal setting, is to make them manageable. So if you do have a grand resolution, break it down into smaller parts and give yourself a timescale for each part. Then you can strive to achieve each part at a time, thereby maximizing your chance of success.

Step 4: Make them measurable.

Don’t be vague! Be specific about your resolutions. Make sure the outcome is something that is tangible, something that you or others can see. Make sure you have some way of recognizing or knowing when you have achieved your outcome.

Step 5: Reward yourself.

Go on, treat yourself. Give yourself a reward at each and every step along the way to achieving your final outcome. Do make sure, though, that the rewards are no greater than the outcome itself! Perhaps make the final reward something that you can share with any friend(s) to whom you told your resolution at the outset.

Douglas Woods is a fully qualified life coach. You can find more about his work on his website at http://www.dougwoods.com.