Every year many people decide that the New Year will bring with it new resolutions. Giving up old habits, taking up new habits, and agendas for self-improvement are laid out with the best of intentions. When people follow through with their resolutions they feel a real sense of accomplishment, an increased sense of self esteem, and a belief that they can do what they set their minds to, from which a sense of self mastery follows.

All too often, however, commitments fade and eventually disappear with the accompanying feelings of guilt, self reproach, and inadequacy. It the “slip” is used, however, an opportunity to learn something about oneself, it can be viewed as a happy accident, as opposed to seeing oneself as a failure.

The desire to give up behaviors and/or adopt new ways of doing things might be met with equally compelling desire not to make these changes. Trying to understand the payoff for holding on to the unwanted behaviors is usually a very productive approach in helping to give them up.

Another approach which may improve the odds for successful New Year’s resolutions is to plan the change in incremental steps. The gradual giving up or adoption of new behaviors can help reinforce success, thus leading the way to more successes.

One final issue to be aware of is to be reasonable with yourself. Don’t attempt to do the impossible. It will be.