You should start practicing your New Year's resolutions now.
New Year's resolutions seem like a great way to take stock of the last year and set goals for the next one.Unfortunately, by February, about 80 percent of people have failed to stick to theirs. Life-changing commitments are just hard to, well, commit to.
制定新年计划似乎是回顾过去一年，设定来年目标的好方法。遗憾的是，到了2月份，有80的人就无法坚持这个目标。
But let's consider a solution.
但是，我们可以来看一个解决方法。
No marathon runner ever steps up to the start line in a big race without putting in the training miles. He or she has been practicing for months, if not years. You should do the same with your New Year's resolutions. Use the remaining weeks of the year as a trail period. By starting now, you will get a much deeper understanding of what you are resolving to do.
在一场重大马拉松比赛中，没有一位运动员会在没有经过里程训练时就踏在比赛起跑线上，他或她即使没有经过多年的训练，也至少经过几个月的训练。而对于你的新年目标，也应该如此。利用今年剩下的几个星期作为试验期，现在就行动，你会对你决心计划做的事情有更深的理解。
It is better to find out in December that a 5-mile run is a bit optimistic for your current fitness level, so you can dial it back and start with 2-mile runs in January. And to make sticking to your New Year's resolutions even easier, with a few weeks of occasional warm-up jogs, you won't be starting from scratch in Jan.1.
比起1月份，最好在12月份就知道跑5英里的目标对你现在的身体状况来说还是太乐观了些，这样你可以降低一些难度，在1月份从2英里开始跑。如果提前几周偶尔做些热身跑步，在1月1号那天你便不会从零开始，也会让你的新年目标执行起来更容易。
And if you miss a few days or binge over the holiday period, what does it matter? You are just practicing. The big event does not start until Jan.1. And by then, you'll be ready.
就算你偶尔几天不跑，或是在假期里大吃大喝了一番，又有什么关系呢？你只是在练习，真正的计划从1月1日才开始，到那个时候，你已经准备好了。
New expression
Take stock of sth
回顾某事，盘点
Take stock of the situation
搞清自己的处境
You should really take stock of your own ability
你真的应该掂量一下自己的能力（没有金钢钻，别揽瓷器活儿）
It is time to take stock of what we have achieved this year.
是时候盘点对我们这一年所完成的事项了。
Dial back
减轻，减少
Resolve to do sth
决心做某事
I resolve to read one french ariticle per day.
Commit to
投身做某事（Promise to do sth)
Once we have comitted to this course of action, there is no going back.
开弓没有回头箭
Mandy 2019-12-25
