Earlier today I posted a top ten New Year’s Resolutions for filmmakers and encouraged readers to pick one for themselves. But if you’ve done that, how do you keep them? Writer, psychologist and researcher Richard Wiseman can help with a blog post entitled “Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions.” From his book 59 Seconds, which backs up self-help techniques with real science, are ten tips on making your resolutions stick.

Here are a couple of good ones:

4. Be specific – Think through exactly what you are going to do, where you are going to do it, and at what time. Vague plans fail. For example, instead of saying that you will go running two days of the week, tell yourself that you will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6pm.

5. Set S.M.A.R.T goals – Focus on creating goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time based (SMART). For example, instead of thinking ‘I want to find a new job’, focus on creating bite-sized, measurable goals for each week, such as rewriting your CV and then applying for one new job every two weeks. Map out the step-by-step mini-goals that will slowly but surely take you to where you want to be, make a note of them in a diary, and stick to the plan.

Even better for filmmakers borrowing from my list is the one I’ve pasted below. In fact, if you want to make your own resolution public, post it in the comments for all to see.

7. Go public – Many people keep their New Year’s resolution to themselves. Unfortunately, this makes it all too easy to simply forget about them. Instead, go public. For example, write down your resolution on a large sheet of paper, sign it, and place it somewhere prominent in your house. Tell your friends, family and colleagues about your resolution, and ask them to provide you with helpful nudges to assist you in achieving your goal. Either way, do not keep your resolution to yourself.

Read the full list at the link.