Top 10 Things You Should Do Immediately After Making a New Year's Resolution

As many people do this time of year, chances are that you're planning to make New Year's Resolutions. Or maybe you’ve already made one or two. For example, you might have vowed to start writing more or get fit.

Your desire is admirable, but sometimes it isn't easy to keep resolutions from slipping through your fingers. Most people fail to meet their New Year's resolutions because they don’t have a plan.

To complete your goal, it’s important to have a specific action plan carefully considered. It's also crucial for your success that you write down when, where, and exactly how you intend to execute this plan to reach the finish line.

These tips can help you crush your New Year's Resolutions:

1. Pick one item at a time. Take your time and focus on your most important goal at the moment.

• It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you have many things to do at the same time, so prioritize one goal.

2. Make your goal specific. Once you’ve decided on the goal, you’re going to be much more likely to achieve your resolution if you spell out exactly what it is. Make your goal SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Bound). Then identify specific behaviors and activities you will do to fulfill the resolution, which can be as simple as reading more books or making time for exercise each day.

• Include a timeline for completion and the steps necessary to reach the goal.

3. Take your time to plan. Write down the steps toward the resolution and plan out how you're going to get there.

• Organization is vital: you might want to write down which days of the week are best for completing your goal, what time of day works best for you, and what tools will help you reach success.  Then put it on your calendar.

4. Start small. For example, if you want to read more books, you don't have to start reading a huge manifesto right away. Start with a time goal (like 20 minutes a day), then start reading and keep track of how many pages you read each day.

• For example, if you want to walk 30 minutes each day, start by scheduling a 5 minute walks once a day and gradually build up over time.

5. Avoid expecting too much too quickly. You might feel tempted to make a resolution that requires you to reach a certain level of physical fitness right away, but it's a good idea to set realistic expectations.

• Publicize your resolution. Tell your goal to others close to you and ask them to keep you in check if they notice that you're not sticking to the plan.

6. Publicize your resolution. Tell your goal to others close to you and ask them to keep you in check if they notice that you're not sticking to the plan.

7. Get a partner to keep you accountable. Tell your partner that you're making a plan to stick with your resolution and ask them to hold you responsible by checking in with you regularly.

• For example, if you want to write more, promise them to do it daily and tell them how you will schedule your writing time into your daily routine. If you intend to exercise, maybe you get them to join you for some extra encouragement.

8. Reward yourself. Rewards are an effective way to boost your morale. You might give yourself a little break once you've reached your resolution, or you can reward yourself with a small gift when you complete the first step in your goal.

9. Learn from your past New Year’s resolution failures. Perhaps you haven't had the best luck with resolutions in the past. That's an excellent opportunity to determine what went wrong and what you can do differently this time around. Take the time and do the analysis…then share your insights with a friend for support in making this a learning experience.

10. Express gratitude for completing tasks, even little ones. Appreciate all the little things along the way. Get excited! If you reach a milestone in getting your resolution done, express to someone close to you how happy you are about that achievement.

• Write down how much you enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and gratitude for doing something good for yourself.

Regardless of how difficult it is to make -- and keep -- a New Year's resolution, you can accomplish it.

Remember to write down what you’d like to accomplish. Then, focus on a specific goal and achieve that one before you go on to focusing on a new one.

With a plan in place and following these strategies, step by step, you’ll find that your New Year’s resolution isn’t so hard to stick with after all!