Okay, we’ll skip the traditional holiday gift lists because, frankly, if there’s one thing you can do for the planet during this most hectic and commercialized season of the year, it’s to buy nothing at all. We’ll just go right ahead with the New Year’s resolutions because we all could use one or two.

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The problem is—and this is almost always the case with resolutions—resolutions are so challenging to keep. It’s as if they’re bound to self-destruct the moment you decide on getting one. Here are the three reasons why resolutions fail, and what you can do about them.

Ditch the Element of Suddenness

When making resolutions, we often mistake the element of suddenness for urgency. Come December, we start committing ourselves to doing (or refraining from doing) something all of a sudden without any thought or preparation for it, thinking the ending year is enough to inspire and prod us.

Last-minute resolutions ask you to plunge yourself to a life-altering decision you may not actually be ready for—be it a going on a strict diet, engaging in a more active lifestyle, or managing one’s finances. Don’t just suddenly embark on a resolution in one fell swoop come December. Instead, take it easy and one at a time.

If you resolve to quit smoking next year, it’s more realistic to start cutting

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back on it a few months earlier, say even before June or July sets in. So by the time December rolls by, you’re more prepared and less likely to break your promises. The result: The resolution you create in December is thus backed by a habit you’ve built earlier.

Installment Basis

One other reason why resolutions fail is because we turn them into all-encompassing pledges that can either be limiting to our current lifestyle, overwhelming, or just plain unrealistic. Big-time resolutions can seem well-intentioned, but once we fail on just a single aspect of it, it can go downhill from there.

For example, eating healthy is a good resolution to have, but it’s too broad. If you’re used to a convenient diet of fast food and instant snacks, that can be downright impossible. Instead, focus on a manageable portion that you can sink your teeth on (pardon the pun).

Making resolutions VS Not making resolutions

What’s the alternative?  How about cutting back on colas, energy drinks, sweetened fruit juices and other beverages?  It’s just one component of the eating healthy goal, but you’ll have to admit it’s way more achievable. Next year you can tackle another aspect of your healthy diet goal, such as getting more fiber or eating more fermented foods, while still retaining your No to Sugary Beverages policy.  New Year resolutions don’t have to be grand, you can do it by installment basis.

Get a Support Group

A third reason for failed New Year’s resolutions is the lack of support group.

Resolutions don’t have to be private, secret undertakings that you should be embarrassed about. Let  your friend and family know what your goals are for the next year so they can guide you along and remind you when you’re straying from the path. They can even share their own resolutions with you, so you guys can help each other out.

Having a support group helps because it keeps everyone honest, it makes the resolutions less challenging than they should be, and actually makes them more fun to pursue.

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Let’s face it, New Year’s resolutions are traditionally meant to fail right from the start, but that’s only because we’re tackling them the wrong way. By modifying our resolutions to more realistic proportions, we’re more likely to keep them for a much longer time.

But don’t worry, if ever you break them prematurely. Forgive yourself, move on, and resolve to do better the next time.