As usual, by the time the New Year rolls around, we find ourselves vowing to improve upon where we went wrong in the previous year. Though some of us dutifully make New Year's resolutions, in most cases, they turn out to be nothing but foolish, idealistic, unrealistic lies we tell ourselves.

ARBITRARY DECISIONS

Do we really invest serious thought into making these resolutions, or do we just look around for our most obvious flaw (to ourselves, of course) and tell ourselves we'd like to make them different, without first examining the practicality of changing and the consequences it carries? Well, because of this, many sad resolutions are scrapped by the middle of January.

However, don't despair. Your ideals and aspirations don't always have to be fleeting fantasies.

POINTERS

Here are some important things to bear in mind when making New Year resolution.

Set simple goals

Don't set aspirations for yourself that are too difficult to achieve. Try to be as realistic as possible.

Start small

If you set yourself tasks that are out of reach, you've only set yourself up for severe and unavoidable failure, not to mention disappointment and heartache.

Get help

Resolutions to diet or do better in school are, in many instances, difficult to follow through by yourself. It is better to have someone who can offer well-needed encouragement and support. Besides, it is proven that you learn better in small, effective groups, and workouts are more effective when you have someone to compete with.

Know what you want

You don't want to find yourself in a position where you are forced to revisit and reset your new resolution. It's best to put your intentions down on paper so that you are well organised and can remain focused when it gets rough.

Make resolutions that can be tolerated by loved ones.

It's very unwise to make resolutions that will affect those with whom you are close. No matter how great you think you are, and how much they love you, everyone has a limit and things can quickly turn sour and, possibly, fragment close bonds.

While many of us may struggle with getting our New Year's resolution right, it is often best to spend time thinking about why this change is necessary. New Year's resolutions are intended to make our lives better, but one bad ones can make your life miserable.