New Year's Resolutions have become a staple of the New Year season. Each year many Americans strive to set and complete these, but often they set themselves up for failure from the beginning. How does this happen every year? Before you make too many more, learn how to make realistic New Year's resolutions.

A New Year's Resolution is simply a commitment by a person to change something about the way they live in the coming new year, usually a lifestyle choice thought to give personal advantage. Popular resolutions include losing weight, quitting smoking, traveling more, and eating healthier. http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/New_Years_Resolutions.shtml Millions of Americans each year decide to adopt these resolutions, and while admirable, they often end up on a pile with other forgotten commitments. There are a wide variety of resolutions out there and it seems that almost every American adopts one or two of them. Unfortunately these resolutions end up unrealized and unfulfilled soon after they are made.

According to a 2007 survey of over 3,000 people conducted by the British psychologist Richard Wiseman, 88% of all resolutions end in failure. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703478704574612052322122442.html Why is it that most of these resolutions are left abandoned? Is it simply that we as humans aren't trying hard enough? Is it that we don't really want to change? Perhaps it is something different altogether.

Often people begin the year with grand intentions of completely curing their life's ills in a few months simply by dedicating their willpower to working hard against those bad habits. As it turns out the brain simply isn't designed for this.

Roy Baumeister, a psychologist at Florida State University, has pioneered the thinking of the brain as similar to a muscle. After working your arm muscles in an intense workout, it is important to rest and allow those muscles to recuperate. Baumeister thinks the same way about prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain associated with willpower. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703478704574612052322122442.html

It is important to realize that the number of resolutions you claim for yourself can be important as well. Stacking resolution upon resolution on yourself might not be the best idea. Consider taking up a single resolution and work at it every day instead of worrying yourself with many resolutions. By limiting the number of resolutions you are trying for, you'll find that those few things you are trying for becoming a habit.

As you make your resolutions it is important to carefully consider your resolutions and evaluate them for achievability. Is it really possible for you to conquer the world this year? It might be possible that this will take two years to achieve. Maybe you want to lose 100 pounds this year. Consider if this is really possible. It might happen but it would take a lot of work. Unconsciously this makes a difference. If you realize that your goal is a lofty one, more often then not you'll end up giving up because you set such a high goal.

Consider the feasibility of goals. Make sure that your goals are reasonable and attainable. But don't let this deter you from creating goals that will stretch your ability to grow. It can be tough finding a balance between stretching and attainable, but make sure that you consider this before moving forward. Often, this can be the difference between success and failure. It is important to set yourself up for success with your resolutions.

Create a variety of resolutions varying in toughness, make sure there is at least one resolution you know you can achieve. Often success in one resolution area can spur you on to success in another. Setting yourself up for success can be very easy.

Set reminders for yourself, on the calender, on your phone, on your computer, sticky-notes around the house: all of these will help you to remember your resolutions. Half the battle is actually remembering what you resolved at the beginning of the year. Don't fail at your resolution because you just couldn't remember it!

If you need help, ask for it! Become accountable to a close friend or family member. Ask them to prompt you every once and awhile about your commitment in the new year. Remember, you aren't trying to do this on your own, ask for help if you need it! Accountability can often be the best way to stay on track if you are having trouble remembering to keep up with your resolution. Another person helping you to remember can often be motivation enough. Most people want others to think well of them so this can usually be enough to inspire motivation. http://www.quirkology.com/UK/Experiment_resolution.shtml

Write down your resolution(s) right away. This will help you to get your thoughts down in stone. Once they are written down, don't change them, they are now permanent. If you allow yourself to change your resolutions throughout the year you will soon find that you have not changed anything about your life at all. Resolutions are about changing something in your life. If you want permanence, you need to get your resolutions down and make them concrete.

Writing your thoughts down on paper is the best way to make sure that you don't equivocate. Make a copy of this paper and give it to an accountability partner who can ask about your resolution from time to time. The biggest point here is permanence. When you see your resolution in pen everyday you'll find more attracted to the possibility of completing your goal.