During the holiday season, we are inundated with everything from peppermint lattes to holiday music in every public space.  And every year, along with this heady mix of holiday cheer, I am greeted with the topic of resolutions.  My clients ask me about them, I am interviewed about them, and my own consciousness reflects my repeated desire to create them.

People often have a love/hate relationship with resolutions, myself included. We distance ourselves from the concept by justifying that it’s corny, or by saying that resolutions don’t work in the long run. Resolutions urge us to think about the areas of our life that we can improve, and can serve as a kickstart for changing bad habits. However, as soon as we stumble or stray from the behavior that we are trying to incorporate, we tend to abandon the whole undertaking altogether. Many people do not set resolutions at all for this reason, but I feel that this is a mistake. Although it may be frustrating to feel like you have failed in your goal, you have still made progress simply by declaring the desire to improve your life.

The true goal of self-improvement is not perfection, but to be better than we were before. Aiming for perfection may seem admirable, but it is in fact a clever form of self-sabotage. For example, we start the new year with an optimistic outlook that we will eat healthy foods and cut out all of the “bad” things. Everything seems great as long as we are 100% sticking to our diet like a model before fashion week. But as soon as we have a weak moment with the bread basket, we douse ourselves in self-criticism before giving up completely. Our minds tell us that as soon as we slip up, we have failed and may as well return to status quo.

There is an undeniable power to aligning with positive energy on a global scale.  Millions of people will be reflecting on their lives and thinking of ways to improve themselves, so why not use this opportunity as energy to help you grow? The main secret is to acknowledge that you will make mistakes along your journey. Many smokers attempt to quit smoking several times before they are able to successfully change the habit. And the most successful people in the world know that failure means nothing in the long run, as long as you get up and keep going. Even Oprah was fired from her first job as an anchor for getting “too emotionally invested in her stories.”

Here are some simple tips to help your resolutions stick in 2016:

•    Don’t wait until the new year to decide on your resolutions. Start brainstorming areas of your life that you want to improve right now. The sooner you begin focusing on the changes you want to make, the more likely it is that you will commit (and stick) to them later.
•    Take some time to focus on the emotions that you want to experience in the next year. Do you want more joy, accomplishment, or romance? Make a list of these emotions, and use them to decide on your goals.
•    Make your goals known. Tell your family, friends, and anyone who will listen what your plans are.
•    Give yourself permission to make mistakes. We are all human and have moments of weakness.
•    Have a few simple goals on the list.  So often our resolutions are grand gestures, like losing a lot of weight, buying a dream house, or falling in love. While large goals are great, it’s important to have easier items that you can quickly mark off the list. Make sure to include a few simple pleasures that will enrich your life:
o    Take up gardening
o    Attend an Opera/ live music event
o    Organize a messy closet