Since we’re now at the end of January and the luster of New Years Resolutions has begun to wear off, I felt like it’s time to share some ideas on how to set goals and keep them.

Resolutions are just that, goals. They are hopes for the future. In December we look at our lives, see the things we don’t like about them, and set a goal to change that specific area of our lives.

No one makes a resolution to get into more debt or add 30 pounds (at least not that I have met).

Here are 6 ways to set goals, keep them and accomplish them.

Be realistic. If your goal is to lose weight, losing 20 pounds in 2 weeks isn’t likely or realistic. Possibly if you just stop eating, but that sounds miserable. The excitement of what could be is easy to get caught up in, but the reality that you will all of a sudden get up at 5 am 4 days a week when you have been struggling to get up by 7 am isn’t realistic.

Set goals you want to keep. I have had friends set a goal and they are miserable. Now, sometimes our goals will have some pain. When I lost 130 pounds, it wasn’t fun to change my eating habits, but the short-term pain was worth it. The same goes for debt. It will require some pain to get out of debt. You have to walk a fine line here. If it is too painful, you will not want to keep it. This is why our goals are often more of a process than a quick fix.

People often ask me the best workout or eating plan. The answer is, the one you’ll do. The same goes for Bible reading, giving, and community. The best goal is the one you’ll go after.

Make them measurable. Don’t make a goal: to lose weight, get out of debt or read my Bible more. Those aren’t measurable. How much weight? How much debt? How much more will you read your Bible? Make the goal measurable so you can see how you are doing.

Have a plan. Once you have your goal, you need a plan. If it’s weight loss, what will you do? If it’s debt, how will you get there? What are the steps? If it’s Bible reading, what plan are you using? No goal is reached without a plan.

When will you workout? When will you read your Bible? Where will you do those things? What will you do when you open your Bible or get to the gym?

What is your plan for getting out of debt, or going back to school?

Too many goals get left on the floor because they lack a plan.

Get some accountability. Equally important is accountability. One of the things I did when I weighed 285 pounds and started mountain biking was I bought some bike shorts that were too small and embarrassing to wear. This gave me the accountability to keep riding. Your accountability might be a spouse or a friend, but it needs to be someone that can actually push you. Maybe you need to go public with your goal and invite people to help you stay on track.

Remove barriers to your goals. Your goals have barriers, that’s why you have to set goals in the first place. It might be waking up, the kind of food in your house, credit cards, working too late, or wasting time on your phone. Whatever it is that is going to keep you from accomplishing it, remove it. Get rid of the ice cream, credit cards, move your alarm clock so you have to get out of bed. Whatever it is, do it. Life is too short to be miserable and not accomplish your goals.