Ring in 2018 in Cincinnati with 7 Tips for Setting Successful New Year's Resolutions

If you find your New Year's resolutions sputtering out after a month or so, you're in good company. According to U.S. News & World Report, 80% of resolutions are history by mid-February.

Make this truly a "new year" at your Springs Cincinnati luxury apartment home. Use these helpful tips to turn your resolutions into 365 days of action.

1. Keep It Simple

When it comes to New Year's resolutions, people often bite off more than they can chew, causing them to flounder in their own good intentions. Don't feel you have to change your entire life in one year. Choose one area that's important to you and direct your energies there.

2. Do Your Homework

Making a resolution without a game plan for achieving it is a set-up for failure. Do you want to lose weight or find a new job? Research your chosen topic and find out what's involved along with what strategies have been successful for others.

3. Create Mini-Goals

With your eye on the finish line, it's easy to become discouraged because success seems so far away. Set smaller goals along the way that will pave the way toward completing your resolution and give you a feeling of accomplishment that keeps you motivated.

4. Don't Be a Slave to the Calendar

Starting your resolution on January 1 may provide a nice sense of a new beginning, but it's really just an arbitrary guideline. Launch your goal at a point that makes sense to you and gives you the greatest chance to succeed.

5. Anticipate Problems

A good GPS system warns you of heavy traffic, road construction and other potential setbacks so you can plan an alternate route. Consider the different problems that may crop up along the road to your goal and have strategies in place to deal with them.

6. Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Pop psychology used to tout the idea that it took only 21 days to change a behavior. In fact, studies show that it takes an average of 66 days to create a habit. Repetition is the key to reinforcing new behavior, but don't panic if you're not perfect. Researchers also found that a day off here and there won't throw you off track.

7. It Takes Two... or More

One of the reasons that programs like Weight Watchers are so successful is that they incorporate peer support. Share your resolutions with friends and family who will provide positive feedback and keep you accountable. It's one thing to rationalize behavior to yourself, but quite another to slide it past your spouse or BFF.

Want to get help with your resolutions while making new friends along the way? Start a New Year's resolution support group with your neighbors at our Springs at West Chester or Springs at Liberty Township luxury apartment communities.