How Busy Dads Stick to New Year’s Resolutions

(And avoid last year's mistakes)

Your resolutions will fail the moment they cease to be relevant to your daily life. Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

It’s Early February, which means dedication to New Year’s resolutions is being sorely tested. We often talk about these commitments as if they’re a lost cause, but there’s more hope than you'd think: In a recent study, roughly 40 percent of those who made resolutions were still on track 6 months into the New Year.

Here are a few ways you can keep yourself going when the initial enthusiasm fades.

1. Be Specific About What You Want to Achieve

The first step in keeping a resolution that lasts is being specific about what you want to do. What will you do each day to bring you closer to your goal? Are there simple milestones you can reach on a daily basis? Who will you include in your effort: you and your kids, you and your spouse, or just yourself? What are you trying to accomplish, what locations are involved (where), when are you starting, ending, and other times that are important. Know why you are doing setting this goal. Is it to improve your health, finances, or relationships? How specifically will you reach your goal?

The first step in keeping a resolution that lasts is being specific about what you want to do. Nana B Agyei, CC BY 2.0