Change is healthy and necessary, and the fast-paced world in which we live is constantly changing. If we fail to adapt and commit to change, then we will fail to thrive in life. If you sit down and reflect honestly, you’ll probably notice that change is the only constant thing in our lives. It’s imperative that we learn to adapt and commit to change. Here are a few ways to help you do just that, instead of making big resolutions that will fall by the wayside.

First things first, define what type of change you want to commit to. If you don’t know what you’re committing to, then you’ll never be able to truly commit to change. Be clear and be honest while defining your commitment. Make a plan by defining why you’re doing this and how you’re going to do this. You can even use a notebook for this purpose.

Let’s use the example of fitness. If you don’t like the condition your body is currently in, you might decide to change it. You must define why you’re doing this; be as clear, honest and detailed as you can. Then draft a plan regarding the methods you’re going to practice to achieve this, such as improving your eating habits and increasing your physical activity.

This will make you aware of what you’re actually committing to and prepare yourself for the work ahead.

The second thing to improve commitment to change is to make sure you’re not “faking the funk”—saying you want to change without participating in the effort. Commitment is an obligation that you can’t fulfill if you don’t fully engage with it.

Staying with the example of fitness, you’re just “checking the box” if you’re just going to the gym to say you went to the gym, but you aren’t changing your eating habits, as well; you won’t reach the results you want. To get the best results and to fully embrace the change, you’ve got to commit to a healthy overall lifestyle by going to the gym AND by changing your eating habits. You’ve got to completely invest yourself in what the change requires.

Commitment requires persistence. You can’t chicken out because you’re finding it hard to adapt to change or if the change isn’t immediately working out for you. That’s not how it’s done. To acquire great results from the change, you’ve got to practice persistence. Again, using the example of fitness, some days you’ll do well; you’ll eat healthy meals and you’ll workout like a beast. Other days won’t go so smoothly. These small failures only equate to big failures if you don’t preserve and power past them to try again the next day. You’ve got to be persistent to get the results your heart desires.

Motivation isn’t permanent; it requires revisiting and refreshing. Go back to your notebook where you defined your commitments. Re-read those reasons and plans that you wrote down while you were defining your commitments when you were highly motivated. This will reignite that spark. If your motivations have changed, draft your plan again and add some new reasons to the list.

Committing to change—any change—is significant and can be daunting. Take some baby steps with these four tips to get started, and remember that slow and steady wins the race.