It is not the easiest thing to do. It requires each person to look within themselves to understand what they want to accomplish for the new year.

The excitement of writing it down, however, can turn into anxiety as soon as you see your deepest darkest secrets staring at you on paper as you set to face them for the year.

If you research how to make a resolution list, you will mostly find the SMART rule applies that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-conscious, but that is easier said than done.

So, as you set your resolution for the next year, try these tips and see.

1. Choose the right one: Taking on achievable and meaningful goals is a sure way to ensure that you will succeed. You can base it on how the year went compared to previous years passed and identify what worked, failed, or needs to be polished.

2. Clarity matters: Vagueness can ruin the right goal, so it is better to be as specific as possible. If you are an introvert setting a resolution to socialize at least more often, writing it like that may not be as effective. Instead, write, "socialize at least once a week, every week.", which will be more effective.

3. Check progress: When the improvement of the goal is not measured, it can cause discouragement or even neglect. If the goal is to brainstorm ideas, ensure to track how that is going. For example, have a friend you would meet regularly to discuss your progress.

4. One step at a time: You can only juggle a limited number of changes and progress fully till others will not get enough focus which is why it is better to focus your energy on specific goals at a go. Before changing your whole life upside down, try changing particular areas of your life to tackle first, and when they are complete, you can move on to the next.

5. Do it for you: The resolutions you decide to begin with should be for the right reasons, not to please others or fit in with the trends, but for you. It should not be out of self-hate that you want to lose weight, sudden passion, or remorse because those are not long-lasting reasons. These goals need to be from a place wanting what is good for you.

In all this, celebrate the small wins and be kind to yourself if you do not progress as planned. Sometimes, you will have to dust yourself off, go to sleep, and start over the next day.