Did you blink? Seems like we went January, February, Novem….. Happy New Year! It happened so fast! And every day we’re getting closer to the infamous count down to midnight and another year of “New Me!”

Nearly half of all Americans set at least one New Year’s resolution, and you may be one of them. Most of us know how that goes; you have ambitious goals to make the changes you want to see. But it’s hard to stay motivated and by the end of the year all you have to show for it is a blank page of accomplishments.

How does this happen? We tend to have big dreams and want to achieve a goal that isn’t realistic for our current situation. It quickly becomes overwhelming and seems completely out of the realm of possibility. Rather than trying to put any small effort toward the goal, we check out and quit altogether.

If this has been your experience, you definitely shouldn’t feel bad about it. Why? Because it’s completely normal. The majority of people who make resolutions aren’t successful at achieving them. Some statistics say this is the experience of around 90 percent of people who resolve for change.

Also, if you don’t know how to set SMART goals and focus on achieving smaller objectives throughout the process, it can be difficult to stay motivated. But with a little bit of time considering personal goals combined with action planning, you can carve your path to a successful resolution!