Once the New Year comes along, we make resolutions and goals to help improve our health, finances, and to better our lives. However, many of us fail to keep our resolutions after one week, and most can't keep their resolutions all year long. Let's look at five ways to keep those important resolutions going throughout the year.

Make the goal relevant to you. Make sure your resolution is something that you truly want and not what someone else suggests. This aspect of goal setting is one of the most important parts of making a resolution stick.

Make it challenging, but not too hard. Be sure the resolution is realistic and that you can physically and emotionally do the work to make the resolution successful.

Break the resolution into small tasks. Trying to accomplish a large goal without breaking it down is overwhelming, and you may set yourself up for failure. If weight loss is a resolution, write down that you will lose 1 or 2 pounds per week and how you'll accomplish doing that. It's easier for the brain to tackle smaller tasks than telling yourself you will lose 20 pounds in one month.

Write your resolution and goals down. Writing them down gives you something to look at and evaluate every week. Make the goals realistic, attainable, relevant, and set a time boundary for each task.

Give yourself rewards. The brain reacts to rewards in a positive way. If you successfully lose 2 pounds in a week, treat yourself to a massage, a bouquet of flowers, or something that brings you pleasure. Rewards help to reinforce that you are on the right track and will help you stick to your resolutions.

Resolutions are a great way to implement positive change in your life, and by following these steps you should have an easier time sticking to them throughout the year.

Source: Fast Company