When the year starts coming to an end, and you have gotten through your holiday planning, the next thing you probably focus on is the next year. What goals you have, and what your New Years’ Resolutions will be.

If you want to stick to them this year, the number one most important thing to do is keep them realistic and attainable. Here are some tips for setting realistic resolutions that you will actually stick to.

Make Them SMART

Any time you read about setting realistic goals, this probably comes up. That is because of how essential it is! This acronym was created in 1981 and is still used today. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound or Time-Sensitive.

This means you want to set new years’ resolutions that are specific and detailed, can be measured with the progress, are realistically achievable, relevant to the goals you have for your life, and have a time when they should be completed.

Start With the Ultimate Goal, Then Break it Down

For a realistic new years’ resolution, you want to start big, but then break it down into actionable steps. Many people want to lose weight or get fit as their resolution, which is a great goal, but it is too broad and often too grand of a goal. Saying you want to be fit and healthy is much too broad, while saying you want to lose 50 lbs is too big to start with.

If your goal is to lose 50 lbs and get fit, maybe you have a goal to lose 3-5 lbs a month, and your end-of-year goal is to be able to do a push up or be able to lift a certain amount of weight. Then break that goal down into mini actions you complete on a daily or weekly basis throughout the year.

Understand WHY You Want Each Resolution

Have you ever made a list of things you want to do or achieve, but didn’t really feel excited when writing about it? This is a good sign that you have the wrong intention behind it. You probably thought it was just something you were supposed to do, or you were following along with your friends. If you don’t feel excited in the beginning, you will never gain enough momentum to see it through.

Create an Actionable Step-by-Step Plan

Finally, choose a few small goals and create a step-by-step plan for each one. Let’s go back to the weight loss goal you have. You already know how much weight you need to lose each month for your ultimate goal of losing 50 lbs in a year. Now, think about the steps you need in order to achieve this goal. This might include starting a fitness routine, drinking more water, and changing your diet.

If you are not sure what the steps are, then it isn’t a realistic resolution to have.