The New Year is a great opportunity to reinvent who you are. It comes with the hope of a second chance to be who you want to be and leave all the disappointments of the previous year behind. Unfortunately, the magic of the New Year often wears off a few days or weeks into the year. Many of the goals we set for the New Year are often forgotten before the end of the first month.

It can be disappointing to look back at the end of the year and wonder where all the time went. If you don’t want to feel like a failure at the end of the year, don’t set yourself up for failure. The following tips will help set yourself up for success.

1. Start small and build up

Don’t bite off more than you can chew in your enthusiasm to be better in the New Year. Don’t aim to run a full marathon in the first month of the year. Start by aiming to run around the block and build up to the full marathon distance by the end of the year.

1. Change one behavior at a time

You can’t change your whole lifestyle at a moment’s notice. Aim to work on one thing at a time. Pick one area in your life to work on and plan to change this area within a specified time before moving on to the next behavior. 

1. Ask for support

No man is an island. Don’t try to go it alone. We all need support especially when trying to make significant changes. You can get support from friends, co-workers, a mentor or trainer, or an online support group.