As the new year begins, some people see an opportunity for change and improvement. 

随着新的一年的开始，一些人看到了改变和改进的机会。 

Experts say January can be a good time to think about self-improvement. Many people make resolutions. But these promises we make to ourselves require effort to become part of our daily lives. They are meant to last a long time. 

专家表示，一月可能是思考自我提升的好时机。许多人都做出了决定。但我们对自己做出的这些承诺需要努力才能成为我们日常生活的一部分。它们应该能够持续很长时间。 

Studies have shown that up to 70 percent of people who make New Year’s resolutions quit their plans within months. 

研究表明，高达 70% 的人在制定新年计划后几个月内就放弃了他们的计划。

Recently, experts gave advice on keeping New Year's resolutions to the Associated Press. 

近日，专家们向美联社提出了保留新年决心的建议。

It is difficult to make big changes. Behavioral health experts suggest breaking big goals into smaller targets. For example, if your goal is to improve your health, you could start with small changes. For some meals, you could trade unhealthy foods for heathy ones, or you could exercise for 10 minutes each day. 

做出大的改变是很困难的。行为健康专家建议将大目标分解为小目标。例如，如果您的目标是改善健康，您可以从小的改变开始。对于某些膳食，您可以将不健康的食物换成健康的食物，或者每天锻炼 10 分钟。 

Once you start reaching smaller goals, the bigger one might not seem so daunting. 

一旦你开始实现较小的目标，较大的目标可能看起来就不那么令人畏惧了。

Psychologist Lynn Bufka suggests being realistic about resolutions. She is with the American Psychological Association based in Washington, D.C. 

心理学家林恩·布夫卡（Lynn Bufka）建议，对于决心要现实一些。她是位于华盛顿特区的美国心理学协会的成员。 

“It’s quite daunting to say that you want to lose 50 pounds and thus, will never eat dessert again,” she said. “It might be more helpful to say, you’re only going to have dessert on the weekends and for special occasions.” 

“说你想减掉 50 磅，然后再也不吃甜点是相当令人畏惧的，”她说。“这样说可能更有帮助，你只会在周末和特殊场合吃甜点。”

Think about what your resolution is helping you to achieve. Do not think about what you are giving up. This can be a powerful way to change your mindset. 

想想你的决心可以帮助你实现什么目标。不要去想你要放弃什么。这可能是改变你的心态的有效方法。 

Bufka said that thinking positively about your end goal and the benefits of your changed behavior can increase your motivation, or drive to succeed. 

布夫卡说，积极思考你的最终目标和改变行为的好处可以增加你的动力，或推动成功。 

Bufka gave this example. “If I put money in a jar for what I would have spent on chocolate every day, that starts to add up,” she explained. 

布夫卡举了这个例子。“如果我把每天花在巧克力上的钱放进一个罐子里，那钱就会开始增加，”她解释道。 

A study of New Year’s resolutions published in 2020 found that people who pay attention to specific goals are more successful than those simply trying to give up bad habits. 

一项针对 2020 年新年决心的研究发现，关注具体目标的人比那些仅仅试图戒掉坏习惯的人更成功。