Some research shows that about 77 percent of people do not carry out their resolutions for more than one or two weeks. If you want to stick with your New Year’s resolution or any goal that you set yourself, try the suggestions below as evidence shows they are key ingredients for achieving goals. Make sure your resolution has a deep and meaningful personal value that is important to you. So knowing that you want to get fitter so that you can recover from an operation, live longer, make new friends, attract a partner and so on gives you a personal reason to strive for the goal.

Make sure you set yourself a specific goal. Research shows that a clear, well structured, time-framed goal-setting process is helpful in goal attainment. For example, if you set yourself a goal of improving your fitness by saying that you will aim to run 2 miles in 15 minutes by the end of March by ensuring that you practice running five times a week until then; you are more likely to achieve your goal than by simply saying that ‘I want to get fitter’.

Make sure your goal is realistic: Research shows that goals have to be realistic but somewhat challenging. If the goal is too easy, you may become lazy. If it is too hard, you may give up. Make sure you monitor your goal. If you monitor the frequency, duration and time of your runs each week for example, you are going to be far more successful in achieving your goal than simply by assuming you are getting faster and fitter over time. So the old adage ‘what gets monitored gets done’ is true.

Tell other people about your goal. Most people care about what others think of them and therefore want to succeed. When you tell other people about your goals, it also enables you to receive support whilst you are striving towards your goal, especially when it feels like incredibly hard work and if your motivation dips.

Make sure you receive some form of direct help. Direct help can include membership of a club, friend or family or a professional. Research shows that people who have direct help will reach their goals compared to those who do have some form of direct help. Develop the right mind-set. Tell yourself that you can achieve your goal and visualise yourself doing so.

Celebrate your success. You deserve to, having improved your determination, confidence, well-being and happiness for 2016.