When the New Year hits, New Year resolutions start. Many start going to the gym, then after a few months the excuses pile up: you start missing days, then weeks and before you know it—the gym is nothing but a distant memory.

Getting into a routine is no easy thing and at first, it can be hard to stick with it—especially when you get the evil eye from regular gym goers.

“It sucks,” said Marcel Bryant, gym enthusiast. “You come in three days a week, for years, and all your weights and machines are taken by these resolution members.”

Making the step from resolution member to gym enthusiast can be difficult, but all it takes is dedication. It can’t be just a hobby, it has to become part of your everyday life.

“You have to be committed to the craft,” said Alan Preis, former body builder. “Find a gym that can handle your schedule and stick to it.”

For many, keeping good health is important. But after a hard days of work, requiring multiple cups of coffee to make it till the end of the day, laying on a couch sounds a lot better than running on a treadmill.

People can make all the time in the world, but it comes down to really wanting it. A key to sticking to goals is to start small and make baby steps.

“Goals should be realistic, within the individual’s control,” said Kevin Corcoran, Professor and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “It helps to have intermittent goals, like ‘within a month, I will run for 20 minutes, 5 times per week, at a 9 minute pace.’”

You have to be in control of your goals and they have to be attainable to each individual. What also helps is being rewarded.

Though having your friends tell you how slim you are getting sounds nice and can be important, it is more important to reward yourself for meeting goals.

When you reach a goal, go out to the movies or splurge on something you have had your eye on—you deserve it.

“None of this is rocket science, but it isn’t magic either,” said Corcoran.

The hardest part is bouncing back from cheat days or skipping the gym.

Missing a gym day may seem like the end of the world, but it will not ruin your resolutions or goals.

“It is important to see “slips” as a mistake, rather than a fatal flaw,” said Corcoran.