We are 27 days into the new year.  They say it takes the brain 31 days to make something a habit and comply by it!  How are you doing with your new year’s resolutions?  If you are on track – good for you!  It’s almost going to become a habit!  If you have already fallen off the wagon – worry not!  You still have 338 days to make it happen! Are you already having issues with keeping your New Year’s Resolution? Do you have tendency to start the year off strong in your new endeavors, only to give up or forget them just as quickly as you began? Well, we’re here to help! Here are the 7 tips and tricks guaranteed to make your resolutions and your 2015 a huge success! 1.  Be Realistic   Make sure your New Year’s Resolution is a goal that is probable and possible for you to reach. Are you working towards getting that raise your job is offering? Awesome! But you’re probably not going to be at the top of the ladder within a month’s time. Do you want to make people happier? That’s great! But you probably won’t be able to give out 30 hugs every day for 365 days. Keep in mind your other life needs and obligations that will take time and energy out of your day. Good things will come in time! 2.  Ease Into It. It is going to be much harder to keep up with a big life change if you decide to implement it fully overnight. Transitioning into something too quickly often leads to an even faster fallout. If you want to sustain your resolution long term, it helps to create planned out steps throughout your target time period that will continuously implement important changes in your current lifestyle! This will ease you into your life change as well as keep the process interesting by allowing you to add new levels of your final goal with every step! 3.  Inform Your Friends and Family   Informing family and friends of your New Year’s Resolution may seem too personal at first, or maybe even pointless. However, think of it this way: who better to act as your support system and hold you accountable than the people that love you most? It definitely helps if these are also people that speak with you regularly or can otherwise comment on your progress and keep you in check! 4.  Remember there is a difference between “Losing Weight” and “Losing Fat” This one is geared towards the most popular resolution of all: “Losing Weight”. What many people do not realize, however, is that “Losing Weight” and “Losing Fat” are not interchangeable terms. Those who go into the New Year headstrong with a new gym membership and eating plans often give up a few months later when they realize the scale isn’t moving or they are seeing no huge change in their physical appearance. NEWS FLASH! You are doing GREAT! Remember that muscle will always weigh more than fat. If your body is replacing your fat cells with muscle content, you will not see a change in weight, though your body mass is becoming leaner. Also keep in mind that you see yourself every single day. Gradual changes in your body that may not be evident to you in short periods of time may be obvious to the people around you. So don’t give up! In general, clean eating and exercise will always lead to a leaner, more energetic, and healthier you! 5.  Make a Vision Board It is often said that physically viewing or verbalizing your ambitions out loud has proven to drastically increase productivity towards that ambition! A Vision Board is a physical, creative representation of the life goals you are trying to achieve. They have become very popular for the dreamers and go-getters of the Pinterest world and crafty people alike! Most boards are made by creating a collage of inspirational words and pictures that create the ambiance of your goal. Other boards are created via illustration and even gradual progress photos of your journey. Whatever you preference, a Vision Board is a fun and creative way to make your resolutions a reality! 6.  Cut yourself some slack Changing your life is hard. Really hard. There will be bumps in the road, and sometimes you may slip up, but that’s ok! Take the elevator once. Bite your nail. Eat a Twix. Leave your hair undone for one day. It is ok to allow yourself to be human. But, don’t forget your goals and dreams either! Right after your little detour, get right back on to your road to success! And overall, DON’T GIVE UP! 7.  Do something that will make a better you! Over anything: always, always, always make sure your resolution is in the best interest of you and your future! It is much easier and more fun to stick to goals that you know will influence your life in the most positive way, and make you a better person for the people in your life that you love. Do things that you love to do!     Photo credits www.happynewyear2015.com www.ucg.org www.noexcuseeasyorganzing.com www.abisona.com www.popsugar.com www.drbren.com www.dangerouslyfit.com.au www.lol-rofl.com