New Years resolutions afford you the opportunity to create positive goals that improve the quality of your life. Resolutions should be a learning process, not simply a one time effort. The new year is not only a good time to make positive lifestyle changes, but it is also a time to reflect, and to be thankful for being alive and well to celebrate the arrival of a new century. To help increase your chances of keeping your new years resolutions this year, here are a few tips:

Make a plan Write down your resolutions. Buy a notebook and keep careful track of your progress. Describe how well you did on any given day, what things helped keep you on track, and what things seem to be undermining your success. Charting your progress and making notes gives you real insight into behaviors associated with bad habits. Don't just wake up in the morning expecting to fall easily into these new habits. Instead know that a personal challenge lies ahead, created and controlled totally by you. Be gutsy, prove to yourself and others what you are made of! Anything worth doing takes hard work and consistent effort, but the rewards are well worth it. In addition:

Be prepared As you make your plan, be prepared. Look ahead for possible obstacles that might stand in your way, and decide now how you will handle them. Set a day or week that you expect to meet your goal, and mark your calendar. This way, when you are tempted to "go off the wagon" you can say to yourself, "I only have only 4 more days to go, I am not going to quit now!" If your resolution involves doing a specific task daily or weekly, also make a note of those tasks, times and days. If you find a part of your plan isn't working, don't be afraid to change it. Check off each successful day, and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

Be realistic Attack the problem a bit at a time. Allow room for an occasional setback, and always look at the bigger picture. Instead of resolving to never eat junk food again, resolve to pay much more attention to what you eat each and every day. Instead of resolving to losing 50 pounds, resolve to lose 10 pounds. These resolutions are realistic and achievable. Once achieved, new resolutions can be made.

Make your resolutions known to others Letting family, friends or people you work with know about your resolutions usually means that they will want to "check in" with you to see how you are doing. Most of us don't want to let others see us fail, instead we want to show people that we can live up to the challenge. This can really keep you on track., and keeps the resolution fresh. Instead of "forgetting" about your resolutions, you will be reminded of them.

Find someone else who has the same resolution Some people will find despite their best efforts, they just can't seem to keep their resolutions. Having someone who is trying to accomplish the same thing can be incredibly supportive and encouraging for both of you. Make sure the person is someone that truly shares your desire to succeed, someone serious about committing to the resolution.

Make a list of the benefits that will come from keeping your resolution For exercise this may mean: Getting leaner and more fit, improving heart health, becoming more flexible, feeling less tired and stressed, and living longer. This will help you see what you will getting out of accomplishing your resolution.

Plan to reward yourself for a job well done Along with making your resolution(s), decide how you plan to reward yourself when you have met your goals. This can be something as simple as shopping for a new outfit, taking your "resolution buddy" out to dinner, or something more extravagant, like treating yourself to a mini vacation or personal day to relax and enjoy yourself. The reward should be as great as the effort put forth.

Allow room for mistakes New Year's Resolutions can often be very difficult to keep. There is nothing wrong with an occasional setback, we all make mistakes. Don't allow yourself to throw in the towel simply because you are having one bad day. Getting frustrated, depressed or disillusioned if you don't do as well as anticipated only keeps you from focusing on the task at hand. Part of learning anything new is stumbling once in a while, so just pick yourself up and move on, and look at this as nothing more than a temporary glitch.

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