TAMPA, Fla. — Some people swear by New Year's resolutions and others swear never to make them.
If you are going to make them this year, there are some tricks to keeping them.
Tampa Psychologist Stacey Scheckner says never use the word 'should.'
"The first thing I would like people to know is to say 'I would love to make this New Year's resolution,' but not 'should.' 'Should' puts pressure on yourself and 'should' can make you feel bad and demotivate you," she explained.
Eating healthy
If you want to eat healthier, Scheckner says small goals are the key.
"What you would do is put concrete, specific little tiny goals to accomplish the overall goal," she said. "For example, I'm going to have one cup of fruit and oatmeal in the morning. That's doable as opposed to saying I want to lose 20 pounds."
Keeping active
Another popular resolution is being more physically active. But if you're really busy, her advice is to schedule it in.
"You have to take each day and each week and set yourself up for success," Scheckner said. "So you have to plan accordingly. If one day you can't exercise, don't beat yourself up.
"You have to say that day I already have commitments."
Saving money
Saving money is a something many people are resolving to do. She says you need to start with a budget and make small goals.
This can be done by using the tool of writing down the overall goal you want to achieve.
Scheckner also says hitting small goals each day gets us to our larger goal by the end of the year, and that can get us something so many of us want — more sleep.
"The No. 1 thing that's going to help the world sleep more is, please, detach from technology on your phone," she explained. "Put it aside at night. Do some meditation.
"Be kind to yourself, tell yourself 'I did the best I could.'"