As the year comes to an end and the New Year begins, everyone starts discussing resolutions.

This year, I will lose weight. This year I will travel more. I will chill out more this year. I will drink less this year. I will start walking, I will save more, so on and so forth.

People start these resolutions with diligence and enthusiasm. But as days turn to weeks the resolve weakens. Not to say that people don’t try hard to keep the resolution, but a few months later they give up. And as time goes by they even forget about it till the year end again the same conversation starts.

According to a study conducted by the University of Scranton, just 8 per cent of people achieve their New Year’s goals, while around 80 per cent fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions.

So what goes wrong? Why do these resolutions fail?

According to me there are two reasons.

Firstly, there is no plan for the goal. As they say ‘A goal without a plan is like a dream’.

So what do you need to do? Write down a plan along with your resolution. How do you plan to achieve your goal or resolution?  For e.g. I will lose weight, instead of saying this, try saying, I will lose 5 kgs in the next six months. This statement itself gives your resolution a meaning or purpose, Your New Year resolution is like a goal, so treat it like one. Like they teach us in our management class, your goal has to be SMART, be specific and make it measurable, achievable, relevant and time oriented. Now once you have a SMART goal, make a plan for achieve this. Just 3 points in this plan should suffice, in this case it could be – I will walk 10000 steps every day, I will not eat sweets and junk food. I will check my weight on 30th of every month to review.

Similarly in the case of the resolution ‘I will save more’. Instead put down – I will save Rs. 5000/- more every month. And the plan – I will invest this Rs. 5000 every month. Start a SIP or buy a stock worth Rs. 5000/- every month, do a recurring deposit of Rs, 5000 every month, etc. I will review it at the end of six months, if I need to increase or decrease it.

Secondly, have a partner who can push you, coax you, goad you (whichever technique works for you) into achieving your goal. It could also be someone who has a similar resolution, so they become your partner in crime. You could even be part of a group or form a group of your own. More the merrier, it can be motivating, inspiring and fun all at the same time.

Once you put down all this, do you think you will fail? No chance, I think not.

So go on put down your resolutions, make a plan and just do it.

As for me, my resolution is to write at least 1 blog every month for my womoneyas. Do remind me if I don’t.

P.S – An interesting trivia in this regard, Research conducted by Strava, the social network for athletes, has discovered that Saturday, January 12 is the fateful day of most New Year’s resolutions.