| It's February and if you're like many people, you're struggling to stay on track with your New Year's resolution. In fact one two-year study of 200 New Year's resolvers found that nearly a quarter fail after just one week. Over the years, I've had plenty of January ambitions fizzle out by early February. But I'm taking inspiration now from my colleague Cynthia, who turned herself into a morning workout champ last year with some tips from science — namely, reward yourself early and often, do things you actually enjoy and build an accountability system with friends. While that's great advice, you still might find yourself on an emotional roller coaster as life's challenges pile up and call into question that loftier vision of yourself. And that's perfectly normal, according to Heather Lench, director of the emotion science lab at Texas A&M University. The key is to harness all those feelings to get yourself back on track. "Change is hard and uncomfortable," Lench allows, but "emotions can be a powerful force to motivate through the discomfort." How exactly? For starters, recall your resolution. If you're feeling sad or defeated about it, perhaps you don't actually want to achieve it in the first place, Lench says. Consider coming up with a new goal. It helps to focus on one thing that you really want to achieve or change about your life rather than several. Make it as present and visual as possible. Instead of merely wanting to get in shape, decide you want to kick butt in a half-marathon in October — perhaps going faster than ever before. But even with a vivid target, you're bound to experience a range of emotions about your progress or lack thereof. Keep in mind that negative emotions aren't bad. They could be signals that something important is happening. Feeling sad? It could be a sign that you need some help. Perhaps you can recruit a friend to keep you accountable or just talk things out. Feeling angry? Maybe an obstacle is preventing you from achieving your goal. If you can identify what it is, you can make a plan to tackle it. In fact, getting a little riled up can be a real boost when it comes to achieving objectives, Lench found in a recent study. Anxiety could signal there's a threat looming. Take a moment to consider how likely that threat really is. By identifying the source of your anxiety, you can create a strategy to handle the situation. Perhaps you've done a great job losing weight, but now some parties are approaching and you're scared of losing your progress. Decide which events to attend (or skip) and come up with a clever way to diffuse the tension. Maybe you can eat before going to the parties, say. Your anxiety may, however, stem from an identity that you hold. You've failed to achieve your goal in the past and can't really imagine succeeding this time around. "Identity can be hard to change, and working with a therapist could be important to restructure these thoughts about yourself," Lench says. If things are going well, congrats, but you're not off the hook! Find ways to amplify your upbeat emotions to raise the likelihood of long-term success. Flex your biceps for a heck-yeah selfie. Post something inspiring on social media. Or simply celebrate with a buddy. "The important part is making the time and effort to mark the progress made," Lench says. So whatever you feel about your 2024 resolution now, remember it can be a step in the right direction if you harness the emotion properly. — Tim Loh | 
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