Jingle Bell time may have passed, but it’s still a good time!

New Year’s Eve is a time to reinvent yourself, so what about all your resolutions for 2017? Or 2016? 2015 ? Chances are, if you’re like the majority of people who swear “THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE MY YEAR”, you broke down in mid-January.

So if you want 2018 to be your year, here are six ways to kill your New Year’s resolution.

1. Choose the one that matters

All the ‘New Year’s resolution’ hype makes it very easy to be forced into making a resolution just to get one, and rather than picking a resolution that’s really important to you, you go with it a cliche like “be more positive about life!” that you don’t really end up keeping.

Instead, think of a resolution as an immediate change you want to make in your life that will allow you to thrive.

Ask yourself, “What makes me unhappy to change?” or “how can I improve myself to be the best version of myself?” and choose a resolution accordingly. Choosing one in the heat of the moment or because of feelings of self-doubt and hatred will only make it less likely that you will follow through on your resolution.

2. Keep it simple

This may probably seem obvious to you, but choosing a realistic resolution is extremely important to make sure you keep up! It’s really easy to set unrealistic goals and make sweeping statements, but in doing so, it will ultimately be very easy to fail, burn out, and panic.

Keeping a simple resolution like “I’m going to start studying for the SAT one hour every week” is easier to follow than a resolution like “I’m going to study four hours a day and do all the SAT practice there are tests. “. You know what I mean?

3. Plan, plan and plan!

You know that old saying, “Failing to plan is planning to fail”? Well, I’m sorry to break it to you, but the people who invented it were right. Without a specific plan to follow your resolution, it is only a vague wish! Be as specific as possible – What exactly am I going to do to make sure you reach your goal? How much time will I devote to it? How many times per week? What is my plan for when I make a mistake?

This will not only force you to think about the working wheels of your resolution, but it will also help you fit your resolution into your schedule, right between all the Netflix and the coffee.

4. Create an accountability system

Friends and family members can harass you, and this time you should ask them. Telling your friends and family about your resolution and plan and asking them to drag your sloth will compel you to achieve your goal!

I’m sure there’s a certain amount of nagging even you can’t resist.

5. Track your progress

LOG! Honey, I get it – you might find journaling a bit silly and even unnecessary, but trust me, it works. Most of the time, the lack of immediate results from your long-term goals is likely to leave you demotivated, but tracking your progress makes the path to success more concrete and achievable. Tracking your day’s work on your resolution will not only keep you motivated, but also give you a sense of accomplishment!

6. Prepare to fail

Ok, I realize this sounds counterintuitive, but despite the fact that you may feel invincible with your resolution plan, sometimes, somewhere, you will fail.

You need to let go of the all or nothing mentality here, because otherwise you might just resort to those “why am I doing this then” thoughts and the boys are the killers.

Your emotions may take over, you may have a million tests ahead, or the Stranger Things finale may air – either way, you’re going to have the day off, and that’s okay.

Good luck and happy killing!