How do I make a money resolution that succeeds?

“Ask Brianna” is a column from NerdWallet for 20-somethings or anyone else starting out. I’m here to help you manage your money, find a job and pay off student loans — all the real-world stuff no one taught us how to do in college. Send your questions about postgrad life to askbrianna@nerdwallet.com.

Q: I never keep my New Year’s resolutions. But this year, I set a goal to save more money. How can I finally stick with it?

A: When we set money goals, our motivations are pure. A new year has just begun, we recently got engaged or we’re trying to stockpile a down payment.

But we give ourselves too much credit.

“The No. 1 reason that people end up not meeting their goals is they try to do too much too soon,” says Laura Morganelli, a financial adviser at Abacus Wealth Partners in Philadelphia.

Drastically cutting your spending and saving a big portion of your income might sound seductive in a dramatic, start-a-blog-about-it way. But saving a lot so suddenly is hard. You’ll get discouraged. You’ll fail, and you’ll feel like a disappointment. A disappointment who still doesn’t have any savings.

So dial it back a bit. Give yourself a break. Making realistic goals to save money doesn’t mean you’re lazy, just pragmatic; set yourself up for small wins, and they’ll add up to bigger ones.

Make your goal bite-sized

Maybe you’ve heard your boss talk about S.M.A.R.T. goals. They’re specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. A broad goal to save more money doesn’t qualify. But saving $500 for emergencies by the end of June — that’s more like it.

Why? Because hitting small milestones will encourage you to keep going. You won’t lose heart if you have to skip a month of savings to pay a surprise parking ticket, because it doesn’t take much effort to pick back up. Instead of completely reworking your monthly spending, you can make small changes. And once you hit small milestones, you’re free to exceed them — or set new, loftier goals in the future.

Most people can spare $21 a week to hit that $500 savings goal in six months, for example. Perhaps you can cut back on takeout or cancel a gym membership in favor of online exercise videos. Schedule automatic transfers to your savings account so you won’t forget.

This goal is realistic, and it’s also the first step toward financial security. Setting aside $500 for unexpected costs, like a new tire or a dog’s vet bill, means you can pay for them in cash, rather than letting them sit neglected on a credit card.