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In addition to shopping for gifts and making holiday party plans, the end of the year is also a time when many of us begin thinking about New Year’s resolutions. If you fell short of accomplishing your resolutions last year, this might be a bit of a sore spot. Less than 8% of people actually stick to their resolutions each year, according to some estimates, yet millions of Americans continue to set goals with high hopes of a better year ahead.

Whether you want to lose weight, get organized, or achieve anything else in 2019,it’s all about sticking to your goals. Here are 10 common traits, characteristics, and habits of people who keep their resolutions for self-improvement.

1. Start with specific micro-goals: Goal-setting and resolutions are typically more of a marathon than a sprint. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and give up when your resolution is something big, such as losing 50 pounds, finding your dream job, or traveling around the world. People who actually achieve their resolutions tend to set much smaller micro goals that are ultra-specific and realistic. If your resolution is to eat healthier, one micro-goal might be to start blending fruit and vegetable smoothies for breakfast each day. If your goal is to take up a new hobby, you might resolve to sign up for a class at a local art studio before the end of January.

2. Set resolutions for the right reasons: It’s important to make resolutions that have a deep importance to you rather than things that are expected of you or what someone else wants. Before the end of the year, put some serious thought into what improvements or changes truly matter to you and what you want out of life in 2019. These are the ideas that should guide your resolution-setting behavior, because they are more likely to stick with you and always be in the back of your mind.

3. Document your progress: It’s hard to stay focused on goals if you don’t see yourself making progress. Writing down your successes and challenges on a regular basis helps you stay focused on keeping your resolutions. Jotting down thoughts in a journal or keeping a simple spreadsheet of milestones allows you to assess where you are in your journey and adjust your efforts accordingly.

4. Practice patience and forgiveness: Even with the best of intentions and motivations, it is all too common to lose sight of resolutions when life gets hectic and your attention is needed elsewhere. It takes time to make lasting change, but sometimes all you need is an unexpected breakthrough to make your resolution a reality. Through the ups and downs, practice patience and forgiveness with yourself, acknowledging that no one is perfect and that you are on the right path.

5. Schedule in time to achieve goals: Time is elusive and often slips away from us with busy schedules and competing interests. Chances are that you schedule in time for work tasks and family obligations, so make this the year that you schedule in time for your resolutions, too. This could mean blocking off an hour each day to exercise, occasionally declining social invitations to focus on self-care, or dedicating a Saturday morning each week to searching for a job.

6. Embrace the buddy system: One of the biggest mistakes people make when setting New Year’s resolutions is trying to achieve them alone. Having a buddy alongside you who has similar goals or simply wants to support you can make a huge difference in whether you achieve your resolutions in 2019. If possible, find someone you trust who is reliable and can commit to joining you for healthy meals, exercise, or new hobbies or activities.

7. Consider your budget: You could be the most motivated individual in the world and still not be able to stick to your resolution if finances get in the way. As you are thinking about which resolutions to focus on in 2019, consider your budget and current financial obligations. If money is a concern, consider adjusting your resolution of traveling the world to exploring nearby towns you’ve never visited, or choose new hobbies to pursue that are within your means.

8. Slow down and meditate: It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and excitement of a new year and lose sight of why you set resolutions in the first place. People who stick to their resolutions tend to be good at slowing down the pace of life, which allows for greater mental clarity. Meditation is a great tool for slowing down the mind and bringing your focus to just one thing, such as the resolution you’re striving to achieve. Take a few deep breaths and make a point to clear your mind and think about your resolution for at least a few minutes each day.

9. Reward yourself for achievements: Resolutions shouldn’t be all about hard work and no fun. That’s why it’s important to reward yourself for achievements you make, no matter how big or how small. If you’ve stuck to your resolution of saving $1,000 a month for the past three months, treat yourself by buying something small that you’ve been wanting for a long time. Occasional rewards provide tangible proof that your resolution plan is working well and that you are improving yourself little by little.

10. Ask others to keep you accountable: People who stick to their resolutions ask others to keep them accountable so that it’s more difficult to fall back into bad habits. Tell as many people as you feel comfortable with what your resolutions are, and encourage them to check in with you periodically for updates on your progress. Simply knowing that a loved one might ask you about your goal and that you’ll feel obligated to provide an honest answer may be enough help you stick to the new goals you’ve set for yourself.

The holidays are a time of celebration and fun, but the hustle and bustle can lead to poor health choices and potential hazards. These 10 tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will help you and your loved ones enjoy a healthier, safer holiday season:

1. Wash your hands often. It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but holiday gatherings can expose us to colds and flu. Wash your hands often using soap and clean water for at least 20 seconds to help prevent the spread of germs.
2. Make your medical appointments. Now is the time to schedule annual medical exams, when the schedule is more likely to be flexible. Ask your health care providers what exams you need and when to get them. Also make sure you are up to date on your vaccinations, including an annual flu shot. Taking these steps helps prevent disease and save lives. To schedule an appointment with your UAB Medicine provider, please call 205-934-9999 or toll-free 800-822-8816.
3. Manage stress. Keep the holiday season stress under control by finding support, connecting with others, and getting enough sleep.
4. Don’t drink and drive, and stop others from doing so. If your holiday celebration involves alcohol, make sure you have a designated driver, or consider a rideshare app. Drunk driving puts everyone on the road in danger. Choose to not drink and drive, and help others do the same.
5. Celebrate smoke-free. Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke. Smokers face greater health risks, and there’s also a risk for nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke.
6. Fasten seat belts. Buckle up every time – no matter how short the trip – and encourage passengers to do the same. Make sure children are buckled in using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt, depending on their height, weight, and age.
7. Monitor children. Keep potentially dangerous toys, food, drinks, household items, and other potential hazards out of the reach of children. Protect them from drowning, burns, falls, and other potential accidents.
8. Practice fire safety. Most residential fires happen during the winter months, so don’t leave fireplaces, space heaters, food cooking on stoves, or candles unattended. Have an emergency plan, and practice it regularly.
9. Prepare food safely. Remember these simple steps: Wash hands and surfaces often, avoid cross-contamination, cook meats to the proper temperature, and refrigerate food promptly.
10. Eat healthy, stay active. When indulging in holiday treats, limit the portion sizes and fill up the rest of the plate with fruits and veggies, which are packed with nutrients and help lower your risk for certain diseases. Also, adults should strive to be active for at least 2.5 hours a week (one hour a day for kids and teens).

A birth defect is a condition that is present when a baby is born, though it may not be noticed until later in life. Some birth defects are inherited from parents, while others are caused by problems in the parts of a person’s cells known as chromosomes. A small number of birth defects are caused by exposure during pregnancy to certain medications, infections, and chemicals.

For many birth defects, the cause is not known, which usually makes them hard to prevent. However, there are things you can do to take control of your health and reduce your baby’s risk of birth defects:

1. Don’t drink alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol can interfere with the normal growth of the fetus and cause birth defects. When a woman drinks during pregnancy, her fetus can develop physical, intellectual, behavioral, and learning disabilities that can last a lifetime. This is more likely for women who drink a lot of alcohol throughout pregnancy, but no amount of alcohol is safe for a fetus, so it’s best to avoid it altogether.
2. Don’t use illicit drugs. Taking illegal drugs (heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines, etc.) early in pregnancy can increase the chance of birth defects. It also can cause preterm birth, low birth weight, and even stillbirth.
3. Maintain a healthy weight. Women who are obese (defined as a body mass index, or BMI, above 30) when they get pregnant are at an increased risk of having a baby with birth defects. The most common defects in newborns of obese women are heart and spine problems and a cleft palate (an opening or split in the roof of the mouth). The best way to decrease this risk is to lose weight before pregnancy.
4. Take a daily multivitamin with the right amount of folic acid. When women become pregnant, their daily need for vitamins and minerals increases. Almost all prenatal vitamins contain the recommended amounts of the vitamins and minerals needed during pregnancy, including iron, vitamins A/C/D, and folic acid. Folic acid is the most important of these in helping prevent birth defects, and taking 400 micrograms at least one month prior to pregnancy helps prevent major birth defects of the spine. For that reason, all women of reproductive age should consider taking prenatal vitamins, even if they aren’t pregnant.
5. Optimize your medications before pregnancy. Many medications are associated with birth defects. If you are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant in the near future, tell that to any health care providers who prescribe you drugs, so they can make sure your medication is compatible with pregnancy. In some cases, pregnancy may even need to be delayed until the medication is completely out of your system. DO NOT STOP any medication without first talking to your prescribing doctor, because a worsening of your medical condition may be more harmful to your baby then the risk of the medication. Once pregnant, check with your OB/GYN or other health care professional before taking common over-the-counter drugs – including pain relievers, allergy medications, and herbal products – to make sure they are safe during pregnancy. As a general rule, you should use caution with any over-the-counter drugs in the first trimester and moderate their use throughout the remainder of the pregnancy.
6. Avoid known harmful agents. Some environmental agents can increase the risk of birth defects. For those who live or work near ongoing lead exposure, alternative arrangements should be strongly considered to limit this exposure prior to attempting pregnancy. Avoid taking in a large amount of vitamin A, which has been linked to severe birth defects. If you avoid high-dose supplements, you likely will stay under the recommended 10,000 international units (IUs) of vitamin A per day. It’s also important to limit your exposure to mercury by not eating fish with high mercury content, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. You do not have to avoid all fish during pregnancy; in fact, eating 8-12 ounces of fish or shellfish helps provide valuable nutrients for a pregnant woman and her growing fetus.
7. Optimize any medical conditions before pregnancy. For women with medical conditions, doing your best to stabilize them prior to pregnancy will decrease the chance of birth defects. Women with uncontrolled diabetes have an increased risk of problems in the brain, heart and spine. Women with high blood pressure have an increased risk of poor placental blood flow, which can cause inappropriate development and growth in some of the fetal organs. If you have a medical condition, see your OB/GYN or other health care provider to discuss any lifestyle or medication changes that can help control your condition before you try to get pregnant.
8. Prevent infections. One of the most feared causes of birth defects is unintended infections. Not all infections can be prevented, but certain things can be done to decrease this risk. Avoid traveling to remote areas with poor sanitation, don’t eat raw or undercooked meat, and wash all fruits and vegetables before eating them. Avoid contact with animal feces, such as changing a cat’s litter box. Avoid continuous exposure to sexually transmitted infections, and treat them before pregnancy if you are infected. For women who work with young children, take steps to prevent infection, including washing your hands frequently and wearing gloves when changing diapers.
9. Stay up to date on all vaccines. Infections such as measles, rubella (German measles), and varicella (chickenpox) can cause major birth defects when a mother is infected during pregnancy. The good news is that most of these have vaccines that can greatly decrease your chance of infection. However, most of these vaccines cannot be given during pregnancy, so you should be up to date on all vaccines prior to pregnancy.
10. Talk to your doctor about the best time to get pregnant. For women who don’t have major risk factors and are in good health, there is no better time to get pregnant then the present. However, it is always good to confirm this with your women’s health care provider, to make sure there are no obvious risk factors that can be addressed prior to attempting conception. Scheduling a doctor visit before getting pregnant is a great way to get advice on general lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, as well as information on any individual factors you may have that can increase the risk of having a child with a birth defect.

Click here for information on UAB Women & Infants Services.