Did you know that only about 8% of people were successful in achieving their resolution in 2014? When you think about it, that’s a pretty sad – less than 1 in 13 people that set a goal for this year made it happen.

Don’t let this statistic get you down, though. Here at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency, we want to make sure that you reach all of your goals, so we want to share with you a few tips that will make you more likely to reach a goal, whether it is a New Year’s resolution or another objective that you want to accomplish:

Simple is best, so don’t go overboard.

The start of the new year is probably the most popular time of the year to set a goal, but that doesn’t mean that you should set a dozen goals all at once. You don’t want to get overwhelmed by making too many changes in your life all at once, so it is advisable that you stick to the one or two goals that you are most interested in making.

Make your goal specific and measurable.

“Lose weight,” “Save money,” and “Spend more time with friends and family” are all great goals, but they are very vague. When setting a goal, you need to make sure that you set specific goals. You are more likely to be successful if you have a concrete goal, like “Lose 15 pounds,” “Save $200 a month for a down payment,” or “Socialize at least once a week.”

Create a plan on how you will get there.

Once you have a specific and measurable goal, the next step is making a detailed plan on how you will get there over the specified period. Do some research to find out how to best be successful based on the goal you wish to achieve, and make your plan accordingly. How often will you exercise? How will you put money aside? Who will you spend your time with? Etc.

Share your goal with friends and family.

The last (and arguably most vital) step in the goal setting process is to make sure that you are held accountable. The easiest and most effective way to do this is to share your objective with your friends and family. Adding a social component to your intent will make you more likely to feel obliged to follow through, whereas a goal that you keep to yourself is easy to abandon without consequence. If you need serious motivation, make a wager with someone looking to achieve a similar goal. The added competition aspect may be enough to inspire you even more.

So what will your goal be for 2015? If you’re looking to save money, let the agents here at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency help you! We can do an insurance review and search for discounts or a different provider to see if there is anywhere in your insurance policies where we could save you some money. Just call 617-298-0655!