How to Make New Year's Resolutions That Stick

Make changes that last beyond your New Year’s Day hangover.

New Beginnings - As the calendar rolls over to 2015, it can be tempting to claim the New Year as a fresh start. Half of all American adults make resolutions. Unfortunately, researchers say that only 22% of them actually stick! But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here's how to make changes that last beyond your New Year’s Day hangover. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel  (Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

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New Beginnings - As the calendar rolls over to 2015, it can be tempting to claim the New Year as a fresh start. Half of all American adults make resolutions. Unfortunately, researchers say that only 22% of them actually stick! But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here's how to make changes that last beyond your New Year’s Day hangover. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel  (Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

Forgetting to Personalize Your Cover Letter - Each cover letter you send should contain the company’s name and the title of the job you want to land. You should also tailor the content to match the job requirements. But be careful — it’s nothing short of sabotage to send a cover letter with the wrong company’s info on it! Here are more tips on crafting a perfect cover letter.  (Photo: Tomas Rodriguez/Corbis)

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Pick Just One - You might have a whole list of things you want to revamp in your life, but research shows that our brains aren’t really setup to handle a ton of change at once. So choose the most pressing thing you’d like to attack and focus your energy there. You can always tackle another goal later.  (Photo: Tomas Rodriguez/Corbis)

Photo By Photo: Tomas Rodriguez/Corbis

Be an Active Reader - When you are reading, don’t just read. Take notes, highlight passages, write summaries of your chapters and use Post-It notes. The more you are engaged, the more you learn. (Photo: JGI/Daniel Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Be Reasonable - Choose an impossible goal and you will defeat yourself before you even begin. For example, if you want to read more books, rather than saying you want to read a book a week (the average American reads just five books a year), aim to read one book a month.  (Photo: JGI/Daniel Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

Write Down Everything You Want to Know - Don’t you hate it when you’re ready to leave the office and you remember a question that you forgot to ask? This time around, write down all of your questions and concerns before you get there. This way you are prepared! (Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Write It Down - Committing your resolution to paper for posterity increases your chances of following through. So scribble it in a notebook or put it on a Post-It note Mary Jane-style, just get it out of your head and into the universe.  (Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

Lose 20 Pounds

 - Do you have 20, 30 or more pounds to lose? One major fitness goal to have is to lose that nagging weight that's been holding you down. Now is the time to make that a reality and reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers. (Photo: John Henley/Corbis)

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Baby Steps - Yeah, you want to lose 20 pounds so you can boost your overall health. That’s awesome. But it’s also daunting and doesn't leave much room for charting your progress. It can be a lot more manageable to say you want to lose three pounds a month and work hard to that end.  (Photo: John Henley/CORBIS)

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What’s In Season? - Summer is here and with that comes a new crop of in-season superfoods. From cherries to blueberries to melons, read why you should incorporate more superfoods into your diet and which ones you should try. By Kellee Terrell (Photo: Justus de Cuveland/imagebroker/Corbis)

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Create Habits - Experts say that it takes an average of 66 days of doing something before it becomes a habit. So break your goal down into an action that you can turn into a habit. For example, if you want to eat healthier, start by having two servings of veggies with dinner every night. Once you’ve mastered that, add another habit-friendly action to move you closer to your overarching goal.  (Photo: Justus de Cuveland/imagebroker/Corbis)

It's the Little Things - Have you ever been in conversation with a person you might’ve met once or twice in passing and they remember something about you? Your instant reaction is usually, “Wow, you remembered?” Being observant and paying attention to small details always makes a huge impact when connecting with someone. (Photo: Mark Edward Atkinson/Tracey Lee/Getty Images)

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Share - Telling people who you love and respect about your goals will add a layer of accountability to your resolutions, even if they never check in to see if you’re on track.  (Photo: Mark Edward Atkinson/Tracey Lee/Getty Images)

Get Help - Some resolutions can benefit from a little help. Signing up for Weight Watchers and joining a group fitness class could be the key to losing those last 10 pounds. Or using a patch could help you finally give up smoking cigarettes.  (Photo: Ariel Skelley/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Get Help - Some resolutions can benefit from a little help. Signing up for Weight Watchers and joining a group fitness class could be the key to losing those last 10 pounds. Or using a patch could help you finally give up smoking cigarettes.  (Photo: Ariel Skelley/Blend Images/Corbis)

Photo By Photo: Ariel Skelley/Blend Images/Corbis

Treat Yourself - Give yourself praise and small rewards when you stick with your goals. It will help you stay the course and give you something to look forward to.  (Photo: Jason Homa/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Treat Yourself - Give yourself praise and small rewards when you stick with your goals. It will help you stay the course and give you something to look forward to.  (Photo: Jason Homa/Blend Images/Corbis)

Photo By Photo: Jason Homa/Blend Images/Corbis