Work in 10-minute workouts and other healthy habits for a banner year.
Work in 10-minute workouts and other healthy habits for a banner year. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Make 2016 your year.

Break the cycle of unrealistic New Year's resolutions that set you up for failure over and over again, such as hitting the gym every day when you haven't exercised since college. That results in 80% of people giving up on their resolutions within three months.


The experts agree that it's more important to identify what you really want to change in your life before taking simple, manageable steps to put those goals in reach.

Here's how to make this the year that you:

Get your finances together.

First 'fess up to your money troubles.

"Take a 'financial selfie' -- be really honest, no filter, no retouching," says "Rich Bitch" author Nicole Lapin, a financial expert with Capital One.

Then define what you need to do to fix those problems, such as paying off student loans or credit cards, or contributing more to your savings and 401K to secure your nest egg.

Make these resolutions count - like fixing your finances.
Make these resolutions count - like fixing your finances. (Getty / iStock)

Now make a spending plan. Lapin suggests earmarking 70% of your net monthly income to essentials (housing, food, transportation, bills), 15% toward your endgame (savings, investing, retirement) and 15% to extras (morning lattes or movie nights.)

Stay on track with your extras by taking out cash or putting a set amount on a pre-paid card. "That way when that's done, the party is over," says Lapin.

And set up debt payments and savings or retirement contributions to automatically come out of your paycheck. "It's on autopilot, and so it's foolproof," says Lapin.

Get a better job - or stand up for yourself at work.

Don't hold yourself back.

"It's 'The Bitch' in everyone's heads that keeps people from achieving their New Year's resolutions -- the negative thinking and self-criticism that stops us," says Dr. Jacqueline Hornor Plumez, author of "The Bitch in Your Head" coming in January.


Don't worry about "bothering" your supervisor to ask for a raise or better position. "Go to your boss and ask what you have to do to get a promotion -- and then do it!" says Dr. Hornor Plumez.

Get out of your own head to get ahead in your career.
Get out of your own head to get ahead in your career. (Mark Stahl/iStockPhoto)

The same applies to hunting for a better job. Even if you're afraid that you're not qualified for a position that you're interested in, it never hurts to submit your resume and go for an interview, which is a prime opportunity to network and make a connection.

She cites research that compared people who became successful with those whose careers got derailed. Both groups suffered setbacks, made mistakes and failed from time to time.

"The difference was how they handled these things. The successful group overcame their setbacks by not letting "The Bitch" make them give up or get defensive," she says.

Add a regular workout to your already busy day.

Some 37% of Americans made staying fit their top resolution for 2015, according to a Nielsen survey. Those good intentions often fall by the wayside because it feels like there simply isn't enough time to squeeze in a sweat session.

Guess again. You can blast 100 calories in just 10 minutes, according to fitness expert Jenna Wolfe, author of the upcoming book "Thinner in 30: Small Changes That Add Up to Big Weight Loss in Just 30 Days." Just do five to seven rounds of 20 jumping jacks, 20 squats and 20 push-ups.

Instead of maxing yourself out to hit the gym five days a week, set up attainable mini challenge, such as walking 10,000 steps a day (which can be tracked on your smartphone) or doing 50 squats every day.

Trade takeout for spicing things up yourself in the kitchen.
Trade takeout for spicing things up yourself in the kitchen.

"Compete with a friend or someone in your household, and change the challenges every week to incorporate different muscle groups," she says. "It's a fun (and competitive) way to make sure you're staying healthy. It especially helps on days when I can't get to the gym."

Multi-task your muscles at work. You can work your arms and abs without leaving your desk by doing 10 tricep dips off the side of your chair, and then sitting straight up and do 100 alternating foot taps, lifting your foot completely off the floor each time. Do 5 rounds of both exercises.

And if your coworkers are looking at you funny, challenge them to keep up with you.

Cook more at home.

Cutting out carbs or doing a juice cleanse isn't the way to lose weight. Eating healthier starts with eating at home.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, founder of The F-Factor Diet, has a few tips for getting comfortable in the kitchen.

Cook once, eat often - preferable on the weekends, because the last thing you want to do after a long day's work is prep and cook.

Best parenting goal: Spend five extra minutes a day with your kids.

"By making a big batch of homemade soup, chili or a platter of grilled chicken cutlets in advance, you will have a nutritious dinner on hand that only needs to be reheated in a few minutes," says Zuckerbrot.

Plus, zapping leftovers in the microwave is even faster than waiting for your Seamless order.

The weekend is also a great time to stock up on groceries for the week, and to plan out lunches and dinners for the family.

Besides whittling your waistline, cancelling your regular takeout orders for DIY dinners also saves you money in the long run.

"In the cold winter months, nothing is more nourishing or delicious than a bean soup (lentil, blackbean, split pea). They are super easy to make," says Zuckerbrot. "A traditional cup of soup from Hale and Hearty can run $6-$10, while the same portion at cooked at home would cost you less than $1."

But there's nothing thrifty about spending money on fresh produce that gets thrown out when it rots before you have a chance to cook it. That's why Zuckerbrot keeps frozen vegetables in her freezer, which last forever and can be defrosted for a quick healthy side or stirred into pasta and omelets.

Be a better parent.

Even the most attentive moms and dads feel guilty about how they are raising their kids.

Pursue artistic passons to enrich your life.
Pursue artistic passons to enrich your life. (iStockPhoto)

Parents tell Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, author of the upcoming book "Discipline Without Damage: How to Get Your Kids to Behave Without Messing Them Up" that they second-guess themselves constantly.

Remember: You've got this. "Get your swagger on!" says Dr. Lapointe. "You are the big person here. Stop trying so hard to figure it out, and just get down to the business of making it happen."

And look away from your devices to chat with them. Talking about little things - like sharing an amusing subway story from your commute - is just as important as heavy topics like drugs and sex.


"Aim for talking about things that will get them engaged in the discussion (even if it's not as interesting to you) for a few minutes," says Dr. Yamalis Diaz at NYU Langone's Child Study Center.

And as for spending more time together, a little goes a long way. Many parenting programs recommend just five minutes a day.

"This is just five minutes of time spent with your child doing something that is fun and interesting to them, without trying to teach, correct, or criticize their actions," says Dr. Diaz. "Just follow their lead and play along."

Do something creative to enrich your life and see things differently.

Every year is the year that you're going to start learning to play an instrument or sign up for an arts and crafts class, but then life gets in the way.

Break your break-up cycle.
Break your break-up cycle.

Indulging in your passions is easier than you think.

"For years, I have asked people I work with, 'If I had a magic wand and could make anything possible, what would you do and how would you live?" says Dr. Hornor Plumez. "Only a handful of people have told me truly impossible things."

So if you want to write a novel, sign up for a fiction writing class, and start jotting your ideas down in a notebook or on your tablet or computer. If you want to paint, put up an easel and set aside a few minutes each day to play with your watercolors set.

Can't afford a class? It's a safe bet that you can pull up a free YouTube tutorial that can show you how to fence, master a dance move or knit a scarf.

"When people use their energy to think about how they can get what they want, instead of listening to 'The Bitch' in their head that discourages them from trying, they can almost always get what they want or pretty close to it," says Dr. Hornor Plumez. "And they feel so much better about themselves for at least trying."

Fall in love

Meet your match. Laura Lane and Angela Spera, co-authors of the new book "This Is Why You're Single," want to break the hook-up and break-up cycle that so many people are stick in.

First, identify if there's a pattern in your partners that didn't work out well - such as how and where you met them, or the type of person you tend to go for.

Better your bedtime hygiene for eight hours of sleep each night.
Better your bedtime hygiene for eight hours of sleep each night. (Solovyova / iStock)

"It's all trial and error. After all, the only way to tell the difference between an egg white substitute and a truffle mushroom frittata is to date a bunch of egg white substitutes first. (If you are vegan, reverse this analogy. Same message)," the ladies write.

But if you're getting strung-along by the same hedge fund guys you're meeting in Wall Street bars, try mixing with a different singles pool at a Paint Nite happy hour, running group or social sports club.

And throw your timeline away, since your anxiety about being single at 30 or 50 or 25 could deter potential dates. "If one person meets the love of her life at 19 and another meets that person at 45, does it mean one is happier than the other?" the authors ask.

But if your timeline worries are more baby-oriented, and your biological clock is ticking, the ladies suggest that you consider this: "Want to know what's more expensive than IVF when you're 43? A custody battle with some d-bag you let inseminate you too early on." So relax.

And beware of stalking someone online before going out with them. "You can't judge the complexities of a human being by the amalgamation of their social media profiles. And digging too deep will just make you look creepy," they say. Learn about your date the old-fashioned way: Talking.

Get 8 hours of good sleep every night.

Sleep deprivation rivals obesity and smoking as one of America's most pressing public health crises. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night according to the National Sleep Foundation, but a third of us catch Zs for less than six hours at a time.

Get in the habit of good "sleep hygiene" every evening by sticking to the same bed time and wake up time every day, including weekends. Sleeping in doesn't help you "catch up" on sleep, and in fact throws your body clock off.

Treat yourself to a relaxing bedtime ritual away from bright lights and screens. Taking an hour to wind down with a soothing bath, meditating or reading a book until you feel tired.

If you do wake up in the night, resting quietly is better than pacing the room and stressing.

"Here's what the pharmaceutical industry doesn't want you to know: If you wake up in the middle of the night and just lay there quietly or meditate, it is almost as healthy as going back to sleep," says Dr. Hornor Plumez.

Tossing and turning will leave you feeling more exhausted at work the next day than reading a book, doing breathing exercises or writing your thoughts down. "Allow yourself to fall back asleep -- or not -- without the worrying," she says.