At the start of a New Year, many may take the time to set resolutions that may change what is deemed necessary to set higher goals in life.

These goals are what is commonly referred to as New Year’s resolutions. Trouble is, according to a 2017 Huffington Post Article, only 8 percent of people keep these self-made declarations.

Here are some tips to actually keep a New Years resolution:

Think about your resolution beforehand.

Make sure it is realistic, specific and important to you. As stated by The New York Times article, resolutions often fail if they lack specificity or are “based on what someone else (or society) is telling you to change.”

Don’t think of it as a New Year’s resolution, but a lifestyle change.

Just like dieting, temporary changes don’t do much for you in the long run. It’s important to set an “immediate plan that you can start right away,” according to Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit.

Form new habits in the morning.

Research shows that people who attempt to form new habits in the morning are more successful. Scientists think this phenomenon has something to do with the fact that, in the morning, there are higher concentrations of cortisol in the brain. So if you are a daily procrastinator, fixing that may be a good secondary goal.

Set high goals.

Research shows that people who set higher goals will be more motivated to complete those goals. Don’t be put off by daunting tasks, instead get excited, go for it and see what happens. In the words of Hunter S. Thompson, “Buy the ticket, take the ride.”

Even if you set high goals, make things as easy as possible for yourself.

A 2017 study showed that people who live 2 kilometers closer to their gym went five times more. Try not to stress that last sentence, we all know laziness can be a powerful inhibitor.

Coming up with good New Year’s resolutions can be difficult, it requires some intuitive self-reflection. Keeping these resolutions can be even more difficult. Don’t get too discouraged though, if everyone succeeded in his or her resolutions, no one would feel good about pulling it off.

Grant Schmieding can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_opinion on Twitter.