Six Simple Steps to Keep Your New Year's Resolution

New Year's Day is one of my favorite holidays, because I like the idea of starting with a clean slate. Usually, I don't have any drastic changes to make in my life, but I like the idea of improving myself in the New Year. It's not easy, though. Here are my six simple steps to keeping a New Year's Resolution.

Step 1: Make a commitment

First, acknowledge how hard it is to keep a New Year's resolution. Ask yourself if you are willing to make the sacrifice to do something different. It may be easy and comforting for you to smoke, overeat or avoid exercise. If you aren't serious about making a positive change in your life, don't get started because you won't succeed.

Step 2: Tell your family and friends.

This worked for me when I was finishing college. It was a hard road and I almost quit at one point. In my senior year, I told everyone that I was going to jump into Lake Michigan to celebrate my final class at Northwestern University. Keep in mind that I graduated in March, so the water was about 38 degrees. I told everyone I would do it, which meant that when the time came, I had to take the plunge. Get others to root for you and to invest in your success.

Step 3: Envision success

First most important; WRITE IT DOWN!! If you don't write it down then you can't envision it. Vision your new life after you have kept your New Year's resolution. Will you be healthier? Slimmer? Will you have more money in the bank? Make a list of all the ways your life will be improved if you keep your New Year's resolution. Keep the list out in the open, put a date on it, maybe put it on the calendar!! Remind yourself that you aren't making this sacrifice for no reason. When your were in school you have due dates for your projects.

Step 4: Don't go it alone

Two years ago, my wife and I decided that we should give up pop (that's soda for you non-Ohio folks). We didn't want our daughter to grow up drinking it, so we had to cut it out ourselves. We haven't been pop drinkers since Jan. 1, 2006. It hasn't been a picnic, because I really love pop, and now I drink a lot of coffee. We didn't even lose weight. However, we are setting a good example, and we are saving a lot of money by not buying pop. Neither of us could have kept this resolution individually.

Step 5: Give yourself rewards

Remember, a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to revolve around self-denial. If you are giving up something big (like smoking), make sure you have something healthy to replace it. If that means you have to buy all of the sugarless gum in your supermarket, do it. Another idea is to take the money you spent on cigarettes and buy a Netflix subscription. You can turn your brain off one thing and onto another. Don't forget to give yourself milestone rewards too. Start off simple and small. If you don't smoke for 2 hours then you'll get a prize. Then you can move that on to a little bigger like if you don't smoke a whole day, get a prize. It's not easy, but you can do it!

Step 6: Celebrate your success

If you are successful in keeping your New Year's Resolution, call your family and friends and celebrate. It could be a simple get-together or a trip to the movies, but everyone will be glad to know that you did it! This will increase your confidence for any future resolutions you may want to make, because have you ever met anyone with only one flaw?