The New Year is a time for new beginnings, are you ready to make money resolutions that stick? Eliminating debt, learning new spending habits, or building savings are choices that can affect your entire well-being from stress levels to physical and mental health. When considered as one big New Year’s goal, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. To make it possible in the year ahead, here are five tips to commit to your financial health.

1. Make a Road Map: Set a Goal (and Write It Down)

Goal setting gives you direction. You can decide on your destination and make a plan to get there. Not only is goal setting linked to higher achievement and self-confidence, but writing down your goal can also make you more likely to succeed.

2. Be Specific About What You Want, and Why You Want It

Two keys to success are identifying your priorities and deciding on a specific goal. When it comes to your money and financial situation, set aside time to reflect on what you really want to accomplish—and be specific.

Ask yourself three “W” questions:

• What do you want to accomplish?
• When will you achieve it?
• Why does it matter to you?

Visualizing a dollar amount can lead to success, whether it is a specific figure to save, pay off, or earn in the year ahead. Write down or track that figure in an app to keep it alive. A real dollar amount makes for a real goal. To motivate yourself even further, give yourself a deadline.

3. Be Positive and Realistic

Goals can challenge you and help you grow into a new future. Choosing a goal that is attainable is another important part of success. Let’s say you’ve chosen a clear goal – with a positive outcome - such as: “In five years, I will be debt-free. I will pay off my entire debt of $12,000 so that I can focus on enjoying my family instead of worrying about money.” Be sure it’s a realistic goal based on your specific situation. Given your income, debts, and expenses, is it realistic to spend $200 on your goal each month? Would spending $250 a month pay it off even faster or does your budget allow for $100? Staying positive and being realistic shows you how much you can devote to sticking to achieving your goal.

4. Keep and Celebrate Milestones

Making your goal measurable will help it stick. Keep track of your progress in an app, spreadsheet, or a simple notebook to help you see the future getting closer and closer. Breaking your goal into smaller milestones makes it easier to see your progress and can make the overall goal less intimidating. For example, a mini-resolution might be to pay off one credit card. Making smaller changes over time is often easier than trying to make a massive change all at once. Don't forget to celebrate your success along the way! Celebrating wins helps to reinforce your new habits, which makes it easier to stay on track if you hit a bump in the road.

5.  Make (and Work) the Plan

Money resolutions often go by the wayside if they serve as a goal without a plan. Keep your plan simple. How much will you spend toward your goal? How often will you make deposits on it? What methods will you use to transfer or save money toward your goal? For instance, automating monthly payments or savings goals is proven to help people stick with money resolutions, or if you need to reduce your credit card spending, focus on making that change as your first milestone. Then move on to setting money aside for payoff.

Ready to Make Money Resolutions That Stick?

A New Year is a new opportunity for success. There’s good news – you don’t have to go it alone! Our partners at GreenPath Financial Wellness specialize in helping people get out of debt and improve financial wellness. Make those money resolutions stick by speaking with a financial expert. The call is free and confidential.

This article is shared by our partners at GreenPath Financial Wellness, a trusted national non-profit.