People come up with resolutions that don’t reflect what matters most to them, and that makes them almost guaranteed to fail.

When your mind is preoccupied, your impulses—not your long-term goals—will guide your choices.

Self-compassion - being supportive and kind to yourself, especially in the face of stress and failure - is associated with more motivation and better self-control.

We all have the tendency to believe self-doubt and self-criticism, but listening to this voice never gets us closer to our goals. Instead, try on the point of view of a mentor or good friend who believes in you, wants the best for your, and will encourage you when you feel discouraged.

We wrongly but persistently expect to make different decisions tomorrow than we do today

According to the American Psychological Association, the most effective stress-relief strategies are exercising or playing sports, praying or attending a religious service, reading, listening to music, spending time with friends or family, getting a massage, going outside of ra walk, meditating or doing yoga, and spending time with a creative hobby. The least effective strategies are gambling, shopping, smoking, drinking, eating, playing video games, surfing the Internet, and watching TV or movies for more than two hours.

When you choose to view your stress response as helpful, you create the biology of courage.