Anyone who has made lofty resolutions while toasting the New Year has also come to a quick realization: tipsy promises are easily broken. Studies show that only 9.2 percent of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions feel like they successfully achieve them by the time the next year rolls around. Many experts say that’s because promises we make to ourselves are too ambitious. Instead, resolutions should be reasonably attainable and well-planned. Instead of vowing to lose 30 pounds before bikini season, resolve to add more vegetables and fewer calorie-laden drinks into your daily diet. Instead of declaring that, as of midnight, you will never smoke another cigarette, promise to call a smoking cessation hotline on a certain date … and stick to it. Rather than make a promise to declutter your entire house, set a date to organize the first room – or the first closet. Baby steps work; after all, we all learned to walk one step at a time.
