The start of a new year and a new decade is a natural time to make career-related resolutions. That’s the easy part. The hard part is sticking with those resolutions long enough that they become habits. Don’t set yourself up for failure by being overzealous in your goal setting.

“There are a few basic reasons these ambitious goals flop, including overcommitting and attempting to change too much too quickly,” Melody J. Wilding writes. “Bad habits are hard to break, but it’s even harder to establish new ones. Trying to undo behaviors that have become second-nature is like trying to rewire your brain.”

Wilding lays out three resolutions to avoid while offering better options to focus your energy.

Get a Promotion or Raise

“This plan is also inherently flawed because it depends heavily upon someone else’s judgment. You may be deserving of the raise, but ultimately, higher authorities must sign off,” she explains. “Goals that rely too much on factors beyond your control can be easily derailed, no matter how hard you try to see them through.”

Instead of focusing on the outcome of making more money, you should resolve to continually improve at work while making yourself an integral part of your team.

Attend More Networking Events

“The difficulty with this resolution, admirable as it may be, is that you’re likely forgetting to account for the time it will take to accomplish,” Wilding says. “Networking means dedicating time to social events, attending conferences, or joining a professional organization.”

Instead of adding events to your already busy schedule, take stock of your current to-do list and set priorities.

“If you’re serious about achieving your goals, then you have to be dedicated to eliminating anything that doesn’t directly contribute to your success,” Wilding adds.

Be More Assertive

“Developing self-assuredness is a worthy goal, especially since passivity can make you feel out of control and may even lead to co-workers treating you like a pushover,” Wilding writes. “Unfortunately, though, simply vowing to do this probably won’t have the impact you want it to.”

Instead, set goals that are more specific and give yourself action items to complete. Do you want to speak up more in meetings? Set a plan in motion to achieve that intention.

January is a natural time to reflect on the past year and set goals for the future, but make sure you are working to make yourself better throughout the year.

“Change doesn’t happen overnight,” Wilding reminds us. “Success at anything is the result of time, practice, and the development of good habits.”