January… the time of year we get to start fresh and define what we want to achieve in the upcoming year. But how many years have you set a goal only to falter part way through the process? It happens often because we tend to set goals that are too lofty. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t aim high, but we do need to be realistic otherwise, be doomed for failure.

Lofty goals are healthy, but should to be broken down into chunks to ensure success. As the age old wisdom states, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with ONE SINGLE STEP.” If you make that single step small and doable, your small steps will become strides and your strides will become achievements.

Here are some common New Year resolutions and ideas for Small Steps to help you achieve them:

1. I want to start exercising: Select an activity you enjoy and can easily fit into your schedule. Do five minutes of it 4 times a week. Do this for 1 week. If successful either add more days or more time (maybe 10 minutes). Repeat this until you’re exercising at least 5 days a week for 30 minutes each day.
2. I want to eat more fruits and vegetables: Add a fruit or veggie to one meal or snack 5 days a week. If successful, then either add more days or another fruit or veggie the following week. Repeat this until you are eating at least 5 per day.
3. I want to lose weight: See above!
4. I want to be less stressed: Choose a short relaxation activity you can do each day for 1 week (breathing exercises for 1 minute, a short walk, or simply closing your eyes). Do this for 1 week. If successful, then either repeat the same activity the following week, extend the time, or pick a new activity. Do this until you’ve built a daily relaxation habit.
5. One last tip… Get a calendar and display it. Check off each day you do your SMALL step.

“Motivation is what gets you started . Habit is what keeps you going.”