Photo by Carrie Eberhardt

If you are setting New Year’s resolutions this year, whether or not you are able to keep your resolutions will depend on how detailed a plan you make for your new behavior.

A large meta-analysis of eighty-five studies found that when people make a specific plan for what they’d like to do or change, anticipating obstacles if possible, they do better than 74 percent of people who don’t make a specific plan for the same task. In other words, making a specific action plan dramatically increases the odds that you’ll follow through.

Take Action: Take a minute to write down a specific plan for your resolution. What exactly will you do?

Join the Discussion: What do you find most challenging about starting a resolution or habit? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Need support for your resolutions? Be sure to sign up for my free online class — you’ll get a worksheet and an email every day for 21 days that will support you in keeping your New Year’s resolutions.