It’s about that time again.

We all muddle through the holiday rush, then before you know it, New Year’s Eve has come and gone. I do enjoy staying up to watch the ball drop, and toast the new year with my sweetheart. And I also enjoy the idea of a fresh start, as much of an illusion as it may be. Making the most of that fresh start means making some good, useful resolutions — and making them stick! I’m happy to share a few tricks that I hope help you with your new year’s resolutions.

1. Write your resolutions down. This helps you refine them and realize exactly what you’re committing to do.
2. A resolution with results is much easier to keep. Select a resolution that has a visible impact on your life, like a growing stack of pennies in a jar, or a shrinking pile of trash in the basement.
3. Share your resolutions with someone. This is another step in making them real.
4. Finding a buddy to commit to the same resolution, or to help you with your resolution, might make resolving fun. Maybe that 6 inches you’ve resolved to knit each week will turn into 12 inches when you get started with a friend.
5. Don’t be afraid to start over. Sometimes we forget our resolutions. But that’s no reason to give up when we remember them. March is NOT too late to pick up a resolution and start over.

Best of luck to you. Happy resolving, and I hope you stick with it! I’d be happy to hear what your resolutions are!

Also read: It is hereby resolved