RESOLUTIONS: New Year’s resolutions begin with the best of intentions. How do we stay on that well-intentioned path and really make a difference?

You may already have your resolutions, but do you know why you want to set those resolutions? The first step to holding yourself accountable is putting meaning behind your goals. Do you want to stop smoking to get healthier? Stop spending money to get on a better financial path?

Have an easy and flexible backup plan so that you don’t completely give up if your plan doesn’t work out. No one is perfect, and bumps in the road happen. Don’t give up.

Be specific when making resolutions. Break down your goal into specific behaviors. For example, if you want to eat healthier, you might resolve to cut portions in half.

Set smaller goals throughout the year. Say you want to stop smoking. Set a goal for reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke by the end of January, with another reduction set after that. Reaching the smaller goals will be reasons to celebrate successes.

Plan ahead, prepare in advance and schedule checkpoints to see how you are doing.

Find an accountability buddy: Identify someone to support you. Make sure it is someone supportive and not someone critical or negative who will belittle your efforts.

Celebrate your successes along the way.

Give your resolution time to become a habit. According to Healthline, it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit.

Avoid picking a goal that you’ve tried in the past but failed, or modify a previous goal if that’s something you still want to accomplish. Watch out for those same pitfalls that stopped you before.