“They say” it takes 21 days for something to become a habit. So for all those who have already broken their New Year’s resolutions, consider the idea that you simply did not give it long enough to “take.”

According to a study by ConAgra Foods, 90% of adults want to lead more balanced lives in the New Year; however, only 21% think it’s achievable.

Well, the principles of the Law of Attraction tell us the 79% who don’t believe a balanced life is achievable will end the year without making progress toward their “unobtainable” goal. In other words, what you believe becomes your reality.

The two most common resolutions are to lose weight and quit smoking. Well, I’m not a smoker, so you can guess what I’m working on this year. And I believe I can do it, and I believe that believing it is a great indicator of success.

So far I’m happy to report that I have followed my healthy food plan for 21 consecutive days. I have also started each day with green tea, taken my vitamins and fish oil supplements, exercised, eliminated caffeine and refined sugar, used my teeth whitener strips and written in my gratitude journal!

Yep, I’m living a better life, one day at a time. And my secret is simple: I use a checklist I created myself. Then throughout the day I see that gentle reminder sitting on my desk and I am reminded of the positive habits I am formulating. It works for me.

So if you’ve stumbled on your resolutions, don’t wait till next January! I suggest you immediately try again. Today. There’s no time like the present to grab those bootstraps and work to create a positive habit. Maybe a checklist will work for you, too.

Twenty-one days from now I’ll check in again. Let’s both be celebrating success!