A New Year hails a new beginning for most of us. Some may resolve to quit smoking, lose weight, get a new job or get our finances in order. By February, some of our resolve has vanished, mainly because we couldn’t get over ourselves. We’re our own worst enemies when it comes to change.

What most of us need is a plan that we can understand and stick to, through all of the hurdles, temptations, and stress that enter our lives. This self-development plan contains five basic elements that you’ll need to overcome yourself and win the battles to take you to ultimate success, so you can be happy in life.

The elements are:

Spiritual

You don’t have to be religious to be a spiritual person. When a person has spiritual strength within, they have a built-in belief system in themselves that will propel them on, no matter what the problem.

Habits

We all have some habits we’d like to rid ourselves of, but some habits are debilitating and affect many areas of our lives in a negative way. For example, smoking is a habit that keeps us away from others and damages our health. Drinking too much can do the same.

Stress

Too much stress in our lives can lead to depression and anxiety, and take a toll on our health. Find a way to control stress, and you’ve found a key element toward positive self-development.

Relationships

There are many types of relationships in our lives - family, spouse or love interest, friends, money, coworkers, and even food. Until we address the toxic relationships in our lives that keep us from success and positive self-development, we’ll be lacking in that part of our lives.

Body/Mind

As you care for your body - so you care for your mind. Without exercise, the proper diet, avoiding chemicals and other contaminates in your life, the body doesn’t function as it should - and neither does your mind.

As you take this journey of self-development, turn inward for answers. You’ll find that there are some that you’ve always known for sure - and some that will be a big surprise. Keep a journal about your progress and setbacks, and learn about yourself in everything you strive to do.