How is your resolution to be more positive in 2015 coming along? If you’ve already given up, you’re in good company. One study by the University of Scranton found that while about 40% of people make resolutions, just 8% of people achieve their goals. Here’s an easy way you can get back on track today.

We’ve all experienced that annoying pop-up every 30 days or so: “Please change your password.” Instead of using one of your go-to passwords, what if you could change your password in a way that could change your life? According to Mauricio Estrella, it’s possible.

When Estrella was going through a difficult divorce, an expired password pop-up put him on the path to a new life. After feeling annoyed that it was time to change his password again, Estrella remembered a tip that an old boss once told him: use a password to make positive change.

The first password Estrella chose was “Forgive@h3r.” By typing that simple reminder a few times a day, each day for one month, Estrella saw his mood improve and his depression lift. The daily reminder helped him to accept the way his marriage ended and to move forward with his life.

The next time his computer asked him to update his password, Estrella decided to “Quit@smoking4ever.” He quit the next day. Up next: Save4trip@thailand, Ask@her4date and eventually, Save4@ring.

How to make password positivity work for you

Is a lack of sleep affecting your job performance? Trying setting your password to something like “sleep1hourearlier” or “nocoffeeafter5.”
What probably won’t work is changing your password to “getapromotion” or “getaraise.”

Think about what you could realistically achieve in about 30 days. Like seeking a raise or a new job, many resolutions or goals are too lofty or abstract to act on. It’s important that your goals are achievable within a short time frame. To aim for a promotion, you could “share2ideas/week,” or “read1bookaweek.”
Inspired? Try it out and let us know if it worked for you.

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Nicole Wray is a member of Generation Y and a regular contributor to Workopolis.
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