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&lt;p&gt;Of the 45 percent of Americans who make&#160;New Year&#39;s resolutions, only eight percent see them through, according to&#160;&lt;em&gt;Reader’s Digest&lt;/em&gt;. That’s partly because we tend to set unrealistic expectations for ourselves or try to tackle goals that are too ambiguous, and partly because we’re not ready for change, even if we think we are.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Researchers&#160;James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente&#160;have written extensively about&#160;how people actually&#160;make changes, and they note that changes happen in four stages. We transcend from not even considering change, to contemplating change, to preparing for said change, to springing into action. After that, we move into maintenance, which is sometimes followed by relapse. Therefore, to successfully fulfill a New Year’s resolution to change your life for the long haul, you ought to be in&#160;the fourth stage and ready to maintain that change.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That said, if you’re eager to kick off the new year with a new you, do yourself a favor and at least reconsider these six resolutions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. To quit your job ASAP&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Quitting your job might sound enticing, but your&#160;resignation&#160;is not something you’ll want to rush. For one, you don’t want to burn any bridges, so you’ll want to consider any incomplete projects and how your work would be delegated to colleagues who are likely busier than usual this time of year. Of course, if you don’t care about your colleagues, you should at least care about yourself. Making the decision to quit your job is an&#160;anxiety-inducing one; while it might offer you relief, you don’t want to take the risk on a whim.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&#160;To stop procrastinating&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sure this is a good goal to have, but what does this mean? How will you ensure your productivity in the new year? Rather than telling yourself that you’ll&#160;&lt;em&gt;stop&lt;/em&gt;&#160;procrastinating, tell yourself that you’ll&#160;&lt;em&gt;start&lt;/em&gt;&#160;making to-do lists you can check off, keeping your desk organized because a clear space&#160;allows for a clear mind, or harnessing fear so you stop putting things off. Whatever it is you need to do to make this shift, plan to do that instead (here are some other ways you can&#160;&lt;a href=&quot;https://fairygodboss.com/articles/the-real-reason-you-procrastinate-and-how-to-be-more-productive&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;fix your procrastination problem&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3.&#160;To say “yes” more&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sure, saying “yes” and welcoming spontaneity would keep life exciting. But sometimes, it’s important to know when to say “no.” For example, you don’t want to be someone’s doormat in the new year. If you&#160;agree to all the work&#160;that comes your way for little pay, you’ll probably have regrets. If you really need some alone time, agreeing to attend every company happy hour might set you back mentally (not to mention physically). If you say “yes” to spontaneous vacations without considering your finances, your bank account might not&#160;thank you&#160;for it. You don’t need to feel guilty for saying “no.” You just need to be honest with yourself about what’s plausible now and what’s perhaps plausible&#160;another time or another way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4.&#160;To&#160;make more money&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is similar to the procrastination resolution. How do you plan to make that money? Perhaps you should revise your goal to be a bit more specific—spend more hours working harder or challenge yourself by taking on loftier projects at work. But also think about if it’s really money that you want more of. About 65 percent of people say they’d opt for money over time, according to a study in the journal&#160;&lt;em&gt;Social Psychological and Personal Science. &lt;/em&gt;But those who did&#160;value time&#160;over money reported more happiness and life satisfaction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5.&#160;To speak up more&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With movements like&#160;#MeToo, women everywhere are vowing to speak up more, to share their stories and to shed light on issues that impact their lives. This is incredibly important. But, again, this resolution could be better. Rather than just speaking up more, pledge to&#160;listen&#160;more, too. Listening helps establish empathy and empathy helps fuel revolutions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6. To get more involved&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Maybe you’ve been meaning to join one of your office’s club sports teams, or you’ve been trying to make more time for your family after work. These are healthy goals to have, but don’t forget that&#160;“me time” is critical to your health, too. If there simply aren’t enough hours in the day right now, don’t add more to your plate just because it’s the start of a new year. You can always join the kickball league after you close the client deal. But you also may want to consider setting aside&#160;meditation&#160;time alone when that space in your schedule opens up.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;em&gt;A version of this post previously appeared on&#160;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://fairygodboss.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; data-saferedirecturl=&quot;https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;amp;q=https://fairygodboss.com/&amp;amp;source=gmail&amp;amp;ust=1506615782992000&amp;amp;usg=AFQjCNEt2hbIzvCFcAEDkekqfS1T3gQ1rw&quot;&gt;Fairygodboss&lt;/a&gt;, which helps women get the inside scoop on pay, corporate culture, benefits, and work flexibility. Founded in 2015, Fairygodboss offers company ratings, job listings, discussion boards, and career advice.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;&#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

AnnaMarie Houlis via Fairygodboss

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