It’s the New Year. It’s resolution time.

And while most of us kick off the year with the best intentions, we often find ourselves floundering on our pledges come March or even sooner. To help you flip the script this year, here’s a short list of ways to help ensure your resolutions last.

1. Actionable vs. objective goals: Use them both.

An actionable goal is something that’s easy to make part of your everyday routine. So if you’re striving to eat more whole grain, enjoying a bowl of Multi Grain Cheerios® each morning is a great place to start. Objective goals are the result of your actionable efforts, like shooting for an amount of weight to lose, or maintaining a specific body weight. Make sure your resolutions include both types of goals.

2. Limit your scope.

What sounds easier – sticking to one resolution or seven? Tackling just one or two makes it more likely to see ‘em through.

3. When it comes to goals, size matters.

Establish a series of manageable goals with a larger prize in mind. Your confidence will grow as those little victories each week add up to big wins over time.

4. Get others involved.

By letting friends or family in on your plans, it will help keep you accountable. And it invites support and encouragement along the way. Check out our other article using social media to make it happen.

5. Have fun and stay positive.

If it’s a chore, it quickly becomes a bore. And burnout is no way to stay motivated and on task.

There you go. Let these simple principles guide you when setting your resolutions this year, and success is sure to follow.