by Leigh Goessl

Created on: December 26, 2008   Last Updated: January 03, 2009

Every year countless numbers of people make New Years resolutions. While most individuals have good intentions of keeping all their resolutions, there are some who find it difficult to bring their self-pledges to fruition.

You'd think keeping a resolution wouldn't be all that hard, but often this isn't the case. Why is it so many fail to meet their resolutions after the New Year kicks in?

A big part of the phenomenon is people often lose the perseverance to complete their resolves. One of the keys to reaching a successful resolution is to maintain that tenacity and keep the energy going until you reach your goal. Usually this takes meeting a benchmark first, but once it is achieved the momentum is a lot easier to maintain.

Another reason keeping a resolution can be so difficult is due to the stigma attached to them. Society often feels compelled to shed those extra pounds, quit smoking, or to lose many of the other "faults" we've attached to ourselves. There is a lot of hype attributed to New Years resolutions and people sometimes feel pressured to make them even if their heart is not in it.

The best way to stick to your New Years self-promises is to make sure you're making them for yourself not because you feel pressured to create resolutions. If you are doing it because you feel compelled due to external factors you're already doomed to fail. When you create resolutions, do it because it is something you truly want to achieve and do it for yourself.

Once you've chosen your affirmed New Years resolutions the trick is figuring out how to stick to them. There are many good strategies you can follow in order to ensure you achieve success in the New Year:

*Set realistic resolutions

The first thing you want to avoid is setting the bar so high you can't achieve your goals. If your resolution is difficult to attain chances are you'll end up disappointed; many people who set unrealistic resolutions end up going to the other extreme of the goal and go backwards.

An example would be "I want to lose 50 pounds by March"; this is unlikely and puts a lot of pressure on yourself. Instead try to set realistic goals which are reachable and you'll have a far better chance of succeeding with your New Years resolutions.

*Don't overdo the resolutions

Pick a few things you want to achieve and focus on those goals. If you set up a whole list of resolutions to work towards in the New Year there is bound to be little accomplished because you'll be all over the map trying to meet all those goals.

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