Making a New Year’s resolution is easy—sticking to it is a whole lot harder! But with a little perseverance and a whole lot of planning, you can be on your way to making your goals for 2020 a reality, whether you’ve resolved to be more mindful of your budget,  you’re seeking to stay active, or something else altogether.  Read on for three tips to help you stick with your New Year’s resolutions.

Start small. By breaking your resolution down into smaller, more actionable goals, you can make your overall objective a little less daunting. For instance, if you’ve resolved to save $1,000 by December 2020, consider putting away $83/month or $19.23/week into a savings account. Your weekly successes will help keep you motivated, especially as you see your bank account balance grow.

Buddy up. If you’ve made a resolution to get active this year, enlist a friend or coworker to join you in your goal. Partnering with another person helps keep you accountable; you’ll be less likely to throw in the towel when you know someone else is counting on you for moral support and companionship. 

Make a realistic goal. It’s okay for your resolutions to be ambitious, but they shouldn’t be so lofty that you’re setting yourself up for failure. Think of 2020 as the first year of the rest of your life. This year, you’ll be making positive changes that will set the groundwork for your future successes. Making changes to one’s lifestyle or habits should be seen as a marathon, not a sprint!