Even if you think you're beyond openly posting "New year, new me" on social media, we know you're probably thinking it. And it's okay. It's fantastic that you're looking to make changes and improve.

Unfortunately, studies show that only around 8% of people meet their New Year's Resolutions. 80% are already failing by February. Many resolutions are pretty difficult endeavors, such as losing weight and keeping it off. Going to the gym, more can be strenuous. Eating more healthy can be time-consuming.

However, your goals can be reached (most of them at least -- more on that later), and you can eventually join the elite few who can brag about achieving their resolutions. It’s all about how you approach your goals and your mindset. So here are some tips on how to have a successful year:

1. Make your goals specific and measurable.

Losing weight,” for example, sounds too general. Becoming “fitter” could mean anywhere from being able to cut down your mile run time from 15 minutes to 14.5. It could mean doing 11 pushups instead of 10 and weighing 298 pounds from your earlier 301. If those are your only improvements, you’re probably not going to be satisfied.

So don’t be vague about what you want. Being vague will only make your goals harder to think about and plan. Vagary opens you up to way too many options; you may not know how to narrow down. It also makes the goal harder to visualize and talk about, which we’ll discuss next.

2. Talk about it.

The more you talk about it, the more accountable you’re held. If you share your goals with the right friend or family member, chances are they’ll follow up on your progress a month later. You don’t want to let them down, do you?

Talking about your goals opens the possibility of discovering new ideas through inquisitive responses. “Why are you doing this? How will you accomplish this?” Even if not everyone will be the nicest in asking these questions, at least you’ll be encouraged to think. 62% of people who shared their goals with a friend were successful.

Who knows, maybe you’ll find a friend who shares the same goal as you or can offer advice. Waking up at 6 AM to hit the gym might be a little easier with someone hounding you to wake up.

Hold on; we didn’t forget about those annoying friends who are always checking into the gym on Facebook every other day. Sure, this looks pretentious, but it’s probably their way of sticking to their goal. Just try to find the balance between sharing and oversharing.

3. Don’t break down or beat yourself up for failures.

"Oops, I ate 33 cookies today. Better try again next year!" Sound familiar? So many people think that just because they aren't perfect, their resolution won't be achieved. However, an isolated incident doesn't determine your overall outcome.

It's like running on an actual track. Falling or taking breaks to sit down doesn't mean you won't reach the end. That is, unless your breaks are way too long and you refuse to get running again. That means while you don't need to be going 24/7, you can't veer down the wrong path entirely. Don't let your cheat meals turn into your regular meals.

There’s a difference between taking breaks and temporary falls versus complete derailment. What matters is how you respond.

4. Be rational and true to yourself.

Why are you choosing these goals? Are any of your goals a “heat of the moment” thing, such as embarrassing your mortal enemy all over Twitter? Is your goal to climb Mount Kilimanjaro just because your rival did? Are you going to cut out your favorite food forever just because you think it’ll make you unhealthy? Are you achieving something just because of societal pressure and not your own passion?

Putting yourself on a new and difficult journey can fill you with resentment if you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. Whatever change you make shouldn’t lead to becoming an inauthentic version of yourself. Even if you’re actually striving to become a completely different person, it should still be who you really want to be.

The journey towards these goals shouldn’t be one where you’re cracking a whip on yourself every time something you don’t like happens. Don’t punish yourself just because you haven’t met your goal, since research shows that using fear, regret, and guilt to push yourself forward is less effective than positive thinking.

Not setting impossible goals may sound like common sense, but we have to say it for a reason. Not everyone is aware that their goal isn’t really attainable. For example, learning a dance choreography that includes backflips and various forms of parkour in a month when you struggle to do one cartwheel isn’t likely to work out.

Study your goals a little and find out how attainable they really are. If your research tells you that learning a backflip in a month isn’t doable in your current condition, you can modify that goal to learning something easier in the same timeframe. Your willingness and resistance to change is also something to think about.

5. Plan out the small steps towards those goals.

Without a plan, your goals can look daunting. Most likely, your goals aren't ones that can be accomplished overnight or even over a month. Most goals that'll dramatically change your life can't be approached too quickly because people generally don't change that quickly.

If your goal is to launch that new business you've been thinking about forever, make sure you start by preparing a roll-out plan for the year and fill out monthly goals. Writing out your goals and reviewing them once a day can be a powerful tool for manifesting your vision.

If your goal is to learn Mandarin, e-books are an efficient way to learn the language while you're commuting to work. That can also be a solution to the obstacle of "I don't have enough time; my commute is 90 minutes long!" If your excuse is "I don't have anyone to speak Mandarin to," you can consider joining your local Chinese club and make friends who are also interested in learning Mandarin. That way, you can practice speaking the language in a fun and interactive way.

Wait! What if you don't have all the resources to attain these steps? For example, what if your weight loss goals involve going to high-end cycling classes? Surely you can lose weight through less costly methods, but SoulCycle is drawing you in like a magnet. You're sure this is how you want to lose weight. And for your gym, you somehow fell in love with the $200/month Equinox. You'll need to save money to afford these, and saving money is a step on its own. That'll require its own planning and strategy, such as reducing your restaurant meals and other unnecessary purchases.

2020 isn’t just a new year, it’s a new decade. You could see this as a new way of proceeding about your yearly ritual of setting (probably similar) resolutions. Time will keep moving on whether you like it or not, so you should step outside your comfort zone and use that time to make those changes. Find the balance between staying “safe” and making the stride towards improvement. Change can be scary, which is why it’s important to approach it strategically, positively, and for the right reasons.

You definitely don’t want to be in the same place in December 2020. By next Christmas, you should be celebrating your success as well as the holiday.

What are your top tips for achieving your New Year's resolution? Comment below and let us know.