New Years is a time filled with different traditions, from watching the ball drop to kissing your family and pets at midnight so they supposedly stay another year (just for good measure). But one helpful tradition is making a New Years Resolution.

New Years is viewed as a restart button, or a fresh start, to many. What better time to better yourself? Although this seems like a great opportunity, you must take caution, or else you may end up dropping that resolution like a ton of bricks.

Tip #1: Always make your resolutions specific. If your goal for this year is to get in shape, try to narrow it down so the idea is not so broad. Do something more along the lines of, “I will workout five days a week.” If your resolution is too vague, it can make your goal difficult to achieve.

Tip #2: If you didn’t make a New Year’s resolution, don’t wait until next year, start now! Same thing applies if you dropped your resolution early. You should pick it back up, revise it to be more specific, and try again!

Tip #3: Find some friends to share the burden with! For example, if your goal is to read twelve books this year, do it with your friends! Maybe even create a book club out of it. Everything is easier when you are doing it with people who are close to you. It will also keep you more motivated, and your friends will be there to support you through it along the way.