If you need inspiration for the perfect resolution to make 2017 your best year yet, you've come to the right place: learning a new language should be your New Year's goal. Why? Because it will give you superpowers: you'll feel more confident, your memory will improve considerably, traveling will be exponentially more fun, and last but not least, your job prospects will increase and you could even earn more money. Sounds a lot like the jackpot of New Year's resolutions, right? To make sure everything goes smoothly, here are some tips that will come in handy once you've enthusiastically chosen a language. 1. Be realistic I don't want to be a killjoy, but you most likely won't master a language in a week, or even a month. But you can learn to count to 100 in a week or memorize the conjugations of 10 irregular verbs in 10 days. The more realistic your goals are, the easier it will be to achieve them, and the experience will be much more rewarding. If you break your learning goals down into small steps, they'll become part of your daily routine in no time, and after just a few weeks, you'll be able to catch up on Chinese during your commute, or while you're exercising, almost without realizing it. 2. Be specific Learning English is a great resolution, but it's more effective to have a more concrete goal: such as being able to watch a movie in English without subtitles after a year, being able to read a book without a dictionary, or traveling to London and ordering fish and chips like a true Brit. Good (and rewarding) resolutions yield tangible results, so make sure your language learning plan has a specific goal and can be broken down into small steps. 3. Choose your method There are countless tools for learning languages: audio files, podcasts, apps, study abroad trips, tandem learning, and, of course, in-person and online classes. You have to choose the method that works best for you. If you don't enjoy learning on your own, podcasts may not be suitable; you might be better off finding a tandem learning partner or signing up for a course. It will take some time to find the ideal method or combination of methods, but that's part of the learning process and will help you achieve your goal. 4. Expect potholes in the road There will be days or even weeks without any fun, and when you're so busy with school or work, the last thing on your mind will be Italian grammar, no matter how desperately you want to go to Rome and eat gelato while admiring the Colosseum. If you don't have the time or energy to worry about adjectives and adverbials for a week or two, that's perfectly fine. Don't be discouraged by setbacks or give up on your plan: pick yourself up and start over where you left off. After all, Rome wasn't built in an hour. 5. Monitor your progress While taking tests isn't much fun, it's essential to keep track of your progress. Many apps and courses have exams you have to pass before moving on, but there are also several free online tests that will help you assess your language level along the way. If you don't want to take any tests but are still determined to watch a movie without subtitles, try watching shorter videos (like movie trailers, for example) or cartoons to see how much you already understand. 6. Tell people about your goals If you study with a tandem partner or in a class, you automatically feel peer pressure to complete your assignments. But if you prefer to study on your own, you should discuss your goals with friends or family, or share them online, to establish a commitment. This way, they can also monitor and track your progress. Having to provide regular updates on your German vocabulary will be a great motivational tool and the push we sometimes need. 7. Reward yourself and have fun If you break your goals down into small steps, it'll be easier to see results and measure progress. Each time you reach a milestone, reward yourself with a cake (or three) or a new t-shirt for your next vacation abroad. Of course, you can also celebrate learning all those new Japanese phrases by going to a sushi restaurant and putting them into practice in real life. 8. Take the direct (and scenic) route If you want to progress faster and have all the aforementioned superpowers almost immediately, learning a language online could be the perfect plan for the New Year. Learning new words and grammar is more fun when you're traveling through online language learning platform. We're not objective, but let's face it, there are few better New Year's resolutions.