Posted by: Trina |January 4, 2012

This article was written by Gretchen Rubin author  of  The Happiness Project

It's the season of New Years resolutions!  I’ve always been part of the some 44% of Americans who make (and also break) New Year’s resolutions; I’m a big believer in the power of small changes to make us happier. Along the way, and especially since I started my resolutions-based happiness project, I’ve hit on some strategies for helping myself stick to resolutions.

1. Be specific. Don’t resolve to “Make more friends” or “Strengthen friendships”; that’s too vague. To make more friends as part of my happiness project, I have several very concrete resolutions like: “Start a group,” “Say hello,” “Make plans,” “Show up,” and “No gossip.”

2. Write it down.

3. Review your resolution constantly. If your resolution is buzzing through your head, it’s easier to stick to it. I review my Resolutions Chart every night.

4. Hold yourself accountable. Tell other people about your resolution, join or form a like-minded group, score yourself on a chart (my method) -- whatever works for you to make yourself feel accountable for success and failure. (If you want to see my Resolutions Chart, as inspired by Benjamin Franklin, email me at grubin at gretchenrubin dot com.)

5. Think big. Maybe you need a big change, a big adventure – a trip to a foreign place, a break-up, a move, a new job. Let yourself imagine anything, and plan from there.

6. Think small. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that only radical change can make a difference. Just keeping your fridge cleared out could give you a real boost. Look close to home for ways to improve and grow.

7. Ask for help. Why is this so hard? But every time I ask for help, I’m amazed at how much easier my task becomes.

If you have an especially tough time keeping resolutions, if you have a pattern of making and breaking them, try these strategies:

To read the rest of Gretchen's article please go to our Generation Happy Page. Once you are a "Community Member" you will receive special offers, up front news on our newest products plus much, much more!

Guest Blogger

Gretchen Rubin is the best-selling writer of four books and three unpublished novels - which are safely locked in a drawer. Her latest book, The Happiness Project, is the account of the year she spent test-driving studies and theories about how to be happier. This is where she shares her insights to help you create your own happiness project. Before turning to writing, Gretchen started out in law. At Yale Law School, she was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal, and clerked for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. This was the time of her life when Gretchen realized that she really wanted to be a writer. Join Gretchen and thousands of others in the Happiness Challange for 2012 and follow the progress on Twitter and Facebook.