The odds of successfully maintaining your new year’s resolutions are pretty abysmal - about 75% of people abandon their attempts at change.  So how do you raise your odds for success?

Plan for success.

Most people either have no plan at all or they spend all of their time planning and never get around to taking action.  You know, buying the self-help book but never reading it, shopping for great workout gear but never getting to the gym or stocking up on great organizer bins but never throwing anything out.

Having a plan that considers the strategies you’ll use, how you’ll manage evitable setbacks, and who will support and encourage you, is a critical step in successfully creating change.

Design a reasonable goal.

If you are a decade long coach potato it’s not reasonable that you will run a marathon in the next few months.  Many people create goals that are way out of their reach.  Then they become discouraged by their slow progress and old habits become comforting.

Setting a goal that is challenging but doable lets you experience success - and success breeds more success.  The marathon will always be there next year.

Create a success circle.

You can’t do it alone.  Most people think that they can tough it out on their own and somehow asking for help makes you seem weak.  Hogwash.

People who are successful at creating change know that surrounding themselves with others who can educate, support, encourage, brainstorm and hold them accountable is a key in achieving their goals.  Asking for help is a sign of commitment.

Have clarity.

Vague goals are tough to achieve because you never really know what you need to do to be successful.  Things like organize my life, improve my relationships, get healthy sound great but could mean a hundred different things.

Set goals that are clear to you and others.  If you’re stuck writing it down with clarity, ask yourself, “What will I be doing differently when I achieve this goal?”

Decide.

People who waffle around are not ready to be successful.  If you are still having the debate with yourself about whether you should or shouldn’t, will or won’t, you are likely still in the contemplation stage of change.  Action does not occur if you are still thinking about it. 

It is the moment when you actually decide that change begins.  When you finally put your feet on the floor and get out of bed to go to the gym, then your goal becomes possible.  Anything becomes possible once you decide.

Think about it this way:

You can be one of the 25% of people who are successful.