Patch Blog: How to Keep your New Year's Resolution

1) Use those fancy soaps and candles you got as holiday gifts. Don’t wait for a special occasion—make your own special occasion by taking a candlelit bubble bath.

2) Do good things unobstructed. Don’t place conditions on your own ability to take action or pursue happiness (e.g., “As soon as I get in shape, then I’ll take that vacation.”)

3) Don’t let the amount of time something takes stop you from doing it (i.e., “I can’t go back to college at my age; I’ll be fifty when I’m done.”) You’ll be the same age in the same number of years whether or not you pursue the goal, so you might as well attain the goal in the process.  

4) Don’t let someone else’s failings hold you back from your own success. Surround yourself with people and partners who truly root for and respect you. You shouldn’t feel you need to lower yourself or limit yourself in order to protect those close to you from feeling insecure or overshadowed by your greatness.

5) Be grateful for life’s difficulties. Don’t hide from crises, heartaches or challenges. Face them. Find that you can overcome them. Use your successes to develop character, become better, and love yourself all the more.