Do you make New Year's Resolutions? How's it going?

By the time you read this article, you are likely nearing the end of January. Statistically, 43% of those that made a resolution are expected to fail, and a mere 9% of people will see their resolution through.

With those meagre numbers in mind, do you feel confident that you can stay on track, or are you feeling that change is futile?

Motivational speaker Tony Robbins feels that resolutions fail because "we're merely looking for a new experience, and we haven't committed to real change." Tony has helped millions transform their lives — mainly through self-reflection, changing their limiting beliefs, and building new habits.

Start by reframing your resolution into goals. Switch from focusing on what you want to change to what you want to achieve. The key to effective goal setting is getting very clear on your desired outcome. Find your why — what is behind the change that you seek.

Once you know what you want to achieve, work on a plan for implementation. Write it out in a journal to further refine and clarify your intentions. Break your goal down into bite-sized goals to make it easier to reach your desired outcome — all achievable and habit-forming.

It is the habit that matters.

As Charles Duhigg mentions in The Power of Habit, "Cravings are what drive habits. And figuring out how to spark a craving makes creating a new habit easier." Habits are simply reinforcing loops that have triggers. Snow falling in town may trigger a habitual response like packing the skis and heading to the hill. For a new habit to stick, it needs to be linked to a trigger. When you see your gym shoes in your car, it will trigger you to head out for your workout.

It takes three weeks to make a habit and only one fail to break one. Remember to have a contingency plan. No one likes failure. Even one roadblock in the path to change can be enough to derail all of your plans. We all carry insurance — for our home or health — because we are aware that $%@# happens. So why don't we give ourselves the same grace and preventative measure when it comes to creating new habits?

Celebrate your success — even the small wins. These triumphs will help you keep going, even during setbacks.

Whatever your goals or intentions are for this year, I am right there with you, cheering you on. Let's do this.