Happy New Year! The first of the year is a time for new beginnings, when people make resolutions. Some things I do very well also represent common New Year's Resolutions: diet and exercise, playing an instrument, speak a foreign language, computer programming.
If you're considering making a resolution to do one of these things, here's my advice:
Don't. Let me give you an alternative. A secret from my successes.
New Year's Resolutions fail because of a misalignment between desires and habits. You want some end result, but you don't take into account the end result is composed of a hundred thousand tiny habits.
A great teacher once said, practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent. If you practice wrong you will never play right.
When you start something and then don't keep up with it, you're practicing adding habits wrong. Habits have to be cumulative, which means they need to be permanent.
So here's a resolution essential to all the disciplines I mentioned: drink water. Nothing else will improve your mental and physical performance so much.
Every night, put a full glass of water where you can see it. When you get up, first thing, drink it.
Do that every day for a year. You'll probably miss mornings, here and there, especially as you get started. No worries, just drink it when you remember. Aim to drink a glass first thing every morning; but consider it a success if you drink one sometime before bed. If you miss a day completely, don't get discouraged, just keep at it.
It's keeping at it that you're actually practicing. That's the resolution. That's what you need to get good at.
I would say 'good luck' except luck has zero to do with it.
Good keeping at it.