Let’s admit it – we make New Year’s resolutions with the best of intentions, but for most of us, they fall by the wayside after a few weeks. Goal setting is essential and should be ongoing, not just reserved for the 1^st of January. Still, there’s something to the fresh start of a new year, and there’s no better time to reflect on the previous year’s successes. Here are some tips to help you reach your goals!

1. Look Back

Look back on the year and remind yourself how far you’ve come in different areas of your life. When we set out to list everything we want to change, we can sometimes forget to appreciate all we’ve accomplished.   It’s important to celebrate your successes, monumental and small. After all, these successes provide the momentum that carries you forward.

2. Select a Few Areas of Focus

Identify about three or four areas of your life you’d love to improve, be they career, health and fitness, finances, relationships, “me” time, or meditation. Don’t try to overhaul your entire life in one go. You can always revisit your resolutions and change your focus. Determine concrete indicators of success for each area (e.g. exercise twice a week; save X amount of dollars per month; plan a monthly lunch date with friends, etc.), and the steps you will take to accomplish each task. Choose a realistic deadline for each task.

3. Write It Down

You will better measure your success if you constantly remind yourself what you’re aiming for. Write down your goals in a notebook, in your Blackberry, or anywhere that you know you will see them regularly. For extra accountability, you can even give a copy of your goals to a trusted friend, who can check in on your progress!

4. Clear the Clutter

When you’re looking to usher in the new, it helps to clear out the junk (external and internal) to make room for what the future holds. Want to learn more in 2010? Donate old magazines and books you won’t reread to a library or literacy organization, where they can be used for instructional materials no matter how dated they are. Want a new look? Pack up a box of clothes you don’t wear anymore, as long as they’re still in good condition, and donate it to the Goodwill or a local transitional shelter. Want more loving relationships? Let go of old resentments and hard feelings.

5. Be Flexible

New Year’s resolutions often “fail” because we think that beginning something on January 1 adds some magic to the prospect of change. Improving our lives is never an easy switch, and we are far too hard on ourselves if we fall short of the lofty expectations we’ve set by January 15. Set yourself up to succeed—establish a few tasks to complete at a time. If you find that something doesn’t work for you, change up your game plan in February—or better yet, as soon as you realize you need a change! Keep your big goals and the bigger picture in mind.

What are your top resolutions for 2010, and what are the first steps you have been taking to see them through during the first 5 days of 2010?

New Year’s resolutions often fail because people set goals that are too vague or too lofty. Instead, make your goals SMART! A SMART goal is one that is:

S: Specific – A specific goal describes exactly what you are going to do and how you are going to do it. So, instead of saying “I am going to get in shape,” you should say something specific like, “I am going to walk during my lunch break 3 days per week and lift weights after work at the gym 2 days per week.”

M: Measureable – How are you going to track your progress?  With the previous example of walking and lifting weights, you could keep track of how many days per week you walked at lunch and lifted weights after work, and each week you could evaluate if you met your goal.

A: Attainable – Make sure your goal is reachable.  Don’t be afraid to adjust your goal if you find it is too difficult or too easily attained.  For example, if you found out that lifting weights after work was not working with your schedule, then perhaps you may want to adjust it to one day per week at home and once on the weekends.  Just don’t give up!

R: Realistic – Our example goal may or may not be realistic for you.  If you don’t have time to walk during your lunch break, or you don’t have a place to walk, then the goal if not realistic for you.  A goal is realistic only if you truly believe you can accomplish it.

T: Timely – Set a timeframe for your goal.  Our example goal is timely, because it specifies when you will accomplish your goal- during your lunch break and after work.

Other ways to stay accountable for your New Year’s resolution:

• Find a friend with a similar resolution.  Make a pact to help each other stick with it.
• Keep a journal on your progress or blog about it.
• Remind yourself why you’ve set the goal.  Write it down, and post it somewhere where you’ll see it daily.

What is your New Year’s resolution?