“New Year, New Me” is plastered all over social media, but is it really? It may be a new year, but is it really a New you?

New Year’s resolutions are made in hopes of being kept, but sadly, that is not the case. According to statisticbrain.com, only 9.2% of people that make resolutions feel as if they have succeeded in that goal.

That’s what I’m here for, though. These are five ways to keep a new year’s resolution, from someone who also knows the struggle of attaining one.

Step One: Have a plan

It’s all great to have a resolution, but you need to know how to execute that resolution. Create a “SMART goal”. According to projectsmart.co.uk, SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.

When making the goal, find ways to make it SMART. Push yourself, but don’t put expectations too high where it’s almost impossible to complete that goal.

Step Two: Start small

Okay, this is definitely a basic tip, but it’s so important! I know some people think it works just to quit cold turkey, but if it’s a bad habit you’re trying to break or a complete lifestyle change, that doesn’t work.

If you’re trying to lose weight, start with taking one thing out of your diet that you know doesn’t help your weight. If you want to do better in school, set aside time to do work and then find time to relax.

Step Three: Cry a little bit

This one might be strange, but it’s definitely okay to cry. Depending on the goal, it might be really hard and can stress you out. Don’t feel as if you have to be strong and not cry, because crying is actually good for you.

According to medicaldaily.com, crying can relieve stress, kill bacteria and release toxins. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, know it’s okay to shed a couple tears.

Step Four: Believe in yourself

There will be times that you want to give up and think that you aren’t capable of this resolution. That isn’t true! You can pick yourself back up from that because you can handle whatever it takes. Tell yourself that you’re going to be a better person once you attain this goal and push yourself!

Step Five: Reward yourself

It’s okay to be proud of yourself! You’re starting this super cool process to better yourself in some way. If you’re dieting, at the end of the week have a brownie or a cookie or whatever indulgence that tickles your fancy. It’s not counterintuitive, it’s positive reinforcement.

These may seem to be small steps, but they can help in huge ways to keep your resolution. Happy New Year and cheers to keeping your resolution.