How to Achieve Your , New Year's Resolutions. The hardest part about setting goals at the beginning of each year ... ... is making sure you stick to doing them!. Columbia University professor Donald Edmondson says it's important to have a plan and set measurable goals. He adds that you should map out each step. In order to be successful at changing behaviors, the first step is almost always setting an intention, and that’s what New Year’s resolutions are about, Donald Edmondson, via CNBC Make It. Change doesn’t come about because people want change so badly. It comes about because they plan it, Donald Edmondson, via CNBC Make It. In the end, believing in yourself will be the most important part of achieving your goals. According to Edmondson, self-efficacy will give you an extra boost when facing obstacles. It's also good to predict those challenges and map out how you will face them