It’s December, the last stretch of 2015 until it all starts fresh again in 2016. For most people, 2015 will end with gorging on Christmas cookies and downing hot chocolate. The free time not spent celebrating, will be spent reflecting on all the things you did, or didn’t do, this year. Regrets, dreams, and goals all come into play.

Bringing us to New Year’s Resolutions. Many people have stopped devoting themselves to making a goal, because they don’t think it’s a realistic thing they can accomplish. Others make a goal, but forget about it within the week. The online website, Statistic Brain, says that 45 percent of Americans make a resolution, ultimately believing they’ll follow it. However, only 8 percent of those people actually end up achieving it.

This year will be different. Here are some tips on keeping your New Year’s Resolution and becoming successful this year:

• Start small. Don’t make a goal that you know you can’t achieve, it will only make you feel bad about yourself. Also, you have to make a goal that you really want to accomplish, something that you will feel motivated to do.

• Make a Plan. Get a calendar and mark specific days for you to check your progress. For example, if your plan is to lose 10 lbs,  mark one day a week for you to jump on the scale and check your weight to make sure you are making positive strides towards your goal.

• Stay Organized! This is probably the most important step. Organization will remind you what you need to do, and keep you on task. Right down the steps you need to go through everyday to achieve your goal. It will keep you from forgetting it, too.

• Set little goals along the way. These small goals will help you keep your motivation up when you reach them, and should help contribute to the overall goal. When you go through a rough patch, you can reflect on the small goals you achieved and it will boost your confidence.

• Treat Yourself. This is a motivation tactic as well. If you remind yourself that you will do something nice for yourself when you achieve your New Year’s Resolution, it will keep you going.

We all know how frustrating keeping your goal is, but you can’t forget about it. January 1st, sit down and start making your plan. These steps can guide you into making 2016 a happy, successful year.