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January is an excellent time to learn to set goals and make positive changes. There’s an art to setting and keeping New Year’s resolutions for kids and adults alike. Start by setting SMART goals. Here’s how:

S=Specific. Rather than setting a general goal such as “be healthier,” create a tangible goal such as, “Run three times a week for 20 minutes and limit desserts to weekends.”

M=Measurable. Create rules that help you identify whether you succeeded. Using the example above, you could mark the days you ran on a calendar and note the weekdays you ate dessert. At the end of the year, if you ran a certain number of days and stayed away from dessert for a certain number of days, you’ve reached your goal!

A=Achievable. Only set goals you can realistically achieve. For example, if you have too much homework to exercise outside of school, consider running only on the weekends or making small changes to your diet instead.

R=Relevant. Let’s say your main goal is to be healthier, but you already play sports and eat well. However, your grades are poor because of the time spent in athletic pursuits. In this case, the goal doesn’t match the need. Your real need is to make better grades. This is a “relevant” goal.

T=Time bound. Goals need to have an end date. That doesn’t mean you go back to old habits, but you should be able to measure success by a certain time.

Below are five steps to help you make sure your resolutions are kept:

1. Limit the number of goals you set. You can’t do it all at once! Write down goals and number them in order of importance. Keep some of the ideas for next year’s resolutions.

2. Take baby steps. Your chances of success increase if you take small steps and avoid burnout. If better health is the resolution, slowly increase the number of minutes you work out each week.

3. Check in throughout the year. Stay on track by checking your progress every now and then. If you want to go quarterly, check back in March, June, September and December.

4. Get an accountability partner. Ask someone you trust and who is close to you to check in on you periodically. Having to answer to someone will help motivate you to keep your resolutions.

5. Cut down on time wasters. Make a list of what you do for fun or relaxation and which of those could be considered “time wasters” such as playing video games or spending time on social media. Limit the time you spend on these and make it part of your resolution so you can make your resolution work for you!