Okay, admit it. We’ve all made New Year’s Resolutions that we never followed through on. Popular ones I hear every year are, “I’m going to work out every day!” “I want to start eating healthier!” “I’m going to quit smoking/and or drinking.” Most of us want to attempt our goal, but by the end of the month, we dive right back into our old habits. This year you can break those old habits by following six tips on how to turn your resolution for 2013 into a success!

Begin your resolution in little steps. If you just keep thinking of the overall resolution, all you will see is one big mess, making it less likely for you to carry out your plan. Organize your goal into smaller phases, like working out once a week or occasionally putting back those bags of chips for an orange. Once you get into the habit of that new routine, gradually start increasing the number of days you work on your goal. By the end of February, you could be going to the gym three times a week and only eating junk food on the weekends.

Set up a support system. Have your family and friends help out with your resolution. If you keep your goal a secret, no one will know your willingness to change, thus making it much more difficult on yourself, says about.com. In restaurants and bars where you’re easily tempted to have a drink or smoke, have your friends offer words of encouragement to keep you motivated. Or if a friend or family member has the same resolution as you, you could work at it together, helping each other out along the way.

Put your resolution on paper. Writing your goal of the year down on paper will help cement that this is something you really want to do. Recording your resolution step by step is especially beneficial for those who want to do things like lose weight or save money. It can keep you on track and push negative thoughts at bay, according to forbes.com. Continue to write, (or if you’re a computer person, blog), throughout the process to keep you inspired.

Reward yourself. Remember when you were younger and your parents used to say “If you finish your homework, you can go outside and play with your friends?” Well, take this same approach to your New Year’s resolution. Reward yourself with a bowl of ice cream if you have been eating healthy all week. Buy those sneakers you saw in Foot Locker that you can now afford since you’ve been managing your money this month. Or if you’re determined to have all A’s and B’s this semester, the perk in the beginning of the paragraph is an option. But don’t go overboard on rewards. It will distract you from the real reason you’re doing this; to better yourself.

Don’t get frustrated if you slip up. When you’re trying something new, you’re bound to make a mistake. It’s okay if you opted to stay in and watch TV rather than go out for a run. You can always try again tomorrow. Learn from your slip-up and keep moving forward.

Keep the end result in mind. After about a month or maybe even a week after you’ve made your resolution, you’re ready to call it quits. Don’t give up so easily. On days when you’re not feeling motivated, think ahead to the time when your goal will be completed. Imagine how happy you’ll be when you saved up enough money to buy your own car, lost ten pounds, stopped smoking and drinking, or went to see a movie with your friends instead of communicating with them on Facebook. Always thinking ahead when making a major change can give you that extra “push” to keep you going.