How to Help a Friend Keep a New Year's Resolution

Most people who have made a New Year's Resolution, have also broken one. Resolutions are goals that you create to keep, so increase your chances of sticking to them, by joining together with a friend. Support each other and succeed in your New Year's Resolutions.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Create a common resolution that you would both like to keep for the new year. Vow to exercise together or quit smoking together. By having a common goal, you not only motivate one another to keep your resolution, but you also introduce a little bit of friendly competition. Your friend will keep in mind that if you can do it so can she, and vice versa.
2. Share your individual resolutions with one another and talk about them regularly. Keep one another's goals in mind and recognize that even if your goals are different you are not alone in the struggle. Reach out to your friend when you need help or motivation, and be there for him when he feels the same.
3. Make a list for one another, and keep them posted on your refrigerators as reminders of why you and your friend should keep your resolutions. For example, if your friend would like to quit smoking, write a list of reasons for her about why you think she should stay strong. Be positive, reminding her that she should quit smoking because you love her and want her to be healthy for a long time.
4. Reward one another for keeping your resolutions. Plan one day a month, or week, to have dinner together, see a movie or enjoy a sweet desert. Keeping a resolution does not mean depriving yourself of something you love, and by periodically rewarding yourselves, you will increase your likelihood of success. If your goal is to exercise or lose weight, treat yourself once in awhile to a sweet snack together, or skip out on exercise class once a month to see a movie.
5. Support your friend, even if he blunders a bit on his resolution. Be open and honest with each other about the success of your goals, and encourage each other to keep trying even after a slip. A resolution is a goal to change your lifestyle, and is a difficult task to complete. If at first you don't succeed, try again.