Expert tips for setting goals and achieving them in the New Year.

We’ve all done it. Setting ambitious goals for everything you want to change and accomplish in the New Year is an age-old tradition. And so is disappointment, when you realize that those goals are far too ambitious to achieve. But if you enlist the support of family and friends, according to wellness expert and The 5-Day Real Food Detox author Nikki Sharp (nikkisharp.com), you are much more likely to succeed.

“The New Year is a great time because you are not doing it alone,” says Sharp. “It is more motivating to stick to a new, healthier lifestyle when you know that there are family, friends and others in your community that are doing the same. We succeed when we do things together, so come January 1, it’s a perfect time to gather a group of people and achieve your goals together.” Here are her top tips.

1. Set realistic goals that you will still be as excited about in June as you are in May. There’s no point in setting a goal if you drop off by the end of January, so instead of saying “I’ll lose 20 pounds,” break it into smaller weekly goals.

2. Focus on what you do each day, instead of looking long term. You will lose the weight you want or get the health you desire when you make a good choice day after day. It’s too easy to throw in the towel when we feel we aren’t seeing results and still have such a long way to go.

3. Set mind goals as well as body/health. The more you focus on changing your mind and doing things like a gratitude log each day, the more likely you are to achieve your other health goals. The mind and body go hand in hand!

4. Find a friend to keep you both accountable. You’re more likely to stick to your goals every day when someone else knows if you don’t follow through, plus you get to celebrate together.

5. Eat three-plus colors at every meal, which is the simplest way to change your lifestyle and achieve your goals.

6. Don’t do things that you don’t like. We all set exercise goals in the New Year, but many of us sign up for a gym that we never go to. If you know that you do not like a certain exercise, find something that you do like, without judgment.

7. Reflect on the past year. What resolutions did you not follow through on and why? By figuring out what happened that prevented you from success, you are more likely to succeed.

8. Step up your organic beauty game this year. Don’t worry about throwing everything you own away. Start with one product at a time, and as you run out, get an organic or nontoxic replacement. By the end of the year your beauty cabinet will be changed and your body and face will thank you!

9. Increase your beauty sleep with one simple change. Put your phone in another room for all of January and see how that affects your day. Not only will you fall asleep more easily, you’ll wake up feeling more refreshed, which helps your weight goals, along with making your face look radiant with no makeup.

10. Upgrade your coffee to increase energy while drinking less. Superfoods are all the rage, and in 2018 we will see the rise of using them in drinks like coffee. Blend maca powder along with coconut oil to reap the benefits while decreasing your dependency on your cup of joe.