Welcome to the third day of 2025. It’s a brand new year, a blank page.

Even if you’re not one of the 40% or more of Americans who make a New Year’s resolution, this time in the year typically spurs some self-reflection.

Millions of Americans resolve to change something they are less than happy with in their lives: losing weight, quitting smoking — maybe just being a happier person in general.

Unfortunately, research suggests that only a fraction of those who make resolutions actually keep them.

And there are thousands of reasons for that, including setting unrealistic goals. If you’ve never run before, it may be a tad impractical to expect to run the New York City Marathon right out of the gate.

Setting specific, realistic goals and charting a course for success is a good way to keep you on track to achieving that New Year’s resolution.

According to a past Forbes article, www.forbes.com, behavioral psychologist Dr. Paul Marciano offered these tips for achieving goals —

— Clearly define your goals. Making a broad statement such as “I want to lose weight” doesn’t give us something definite to aim for. Do we intend to lose 3 pounds? 30? Marciano suggests using the SMART system — set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound.

— Track your progress. According to Marciano, “If you can measure it, you can change it” is a fundamental principal of psychology. Measuring your efforts can help provide a source of inspiration, the Forbes article notes.

— Have patience. Progress won’t happen every day. Rapid gains may come for a few days, followed by days of stagnation or resistance. But, keep at it.

— Publicize your goals to friends and family. As Forbes points out, announcing a goal to the world might seem embarrassing, but social support is critical, it increases your chances of success.

— Put it all on your schedule. Make your goals a priority. We choose, to some degree, what we spend our time on. If achieving weight loss, or writing a book top your list, make it a priority. Put it in your schedule.

— Stop “all or nothing” thinking; it’s better to do something than nothing. This is kind of like throwing the baby out with the bath water. Just because you overslept your alarm and now have only 20 minutes to hit the gym instead of an hour, it’s still better than nothing.

— Get up when you slip up. “None of us are perfect,” the Forbes article states. “As the great Vince Lombardi said, ‘It isn’t whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.’ Resiliency is the key. Don’t turn relapses or temporary failures into total meltdowns or excuses for giving up. Instead, just acknowledge the mistake and recommit to the path.”

So, keep trying.

Here’s to a new year, and possibly, a new you.