Here are a few tips to help you keep your resolutions and achieve your aims during in 2009.



1. Don't make too many resolutions. One of the key reasons why people fail to keep their resolutions is that they make too many of them. It is much better to make one single resolution and focus your whole attention on achieving it. The more goals you set yourself the more you will scatter your attention and dilute your efforts - and the more difficult it will be to achieve any one of them. The result will be frustration and inevitable failure. So choose just one key resolution and stick to it.

2. Focus on something that you feel strongly about achieving. Too many people make a list of vague generalities that they think would be good to achieve without ever feeling any deep emotional commitment to them. DON'T make certain resolutions just because a crowd of other people are. Maybe the only reason why you think you should be on a diet is because it is fashionable to be thin, or perhaps because you think others will admire you more, but if your heart is not in it then cross it off your list of resolutions, have another mince pie and enjoy it!

3. Think about what you will give up in order to achieve your New Year's resolution. You cannot achieve everything, and if you are to achieve your New Year's resolution you may have to cut back on the time you spend doing another activity. Ask yourself what you would be willing to give up in order to achieve your resolution. For example you may want to learn a new craft skill, but would you be willing to cut out the amount of time you spend watching television in order to achieve that goal? More specifically are there any particular programs that you would be willing to stop watching in order to give you more time to work on your new craft skill? Every benefit comes with a cost. If you are not willing to pay the cost to achieve the goal then you should not make that goal your New Year's resolution.

4. Be specific, set milestone goals and keep track of your progress. If you divide up your New Year resolution into a series of short term goals you will keep up your motivation each time you complete one of the steps towards your ultimate destination. For example, instead of telling yourself that you want to "learn carpentry", set a specific, challenging but achievable target for the year, such as completing a certain number of projects. Next allocate yourself so many weeks for each project and make a schedule that can be checked off as you make progress.

5. Each time you achieve one of your milestones, reward yourself. It would be a good idea to set out a scheme of rewards at the same time as you write down your short-term goals.

6. Now tell everybody about your resolution! Put some external pressure on yourself to succeed, and this will help you to focus on achieving your resolution. If you have a friend who has also made a New Year's resolution make a pact to hold each other to account.

7. Cut yourself some slack, both in your planning and in your achieving of your goals. Keep your plans flexible enough so that if you fall behind you will be able to find time in your schedule when you will be able to redouble your efforts or make up for lost time. However, do not beat yourself up with negative thinking if you are unable to do this.

8. Get a head start! You will want to make a special effort in the first few weeks so as to turn your resolution into a habit. Aim to achieve one or two short-term goals in the first month or six weeks and then it will be much easier to keep going throughout the rest of the year.

Finally if everything goes wrong you will need to reassess whether the resolution is really right for you if on further reflection it is something that you want to achieve, learn from your mistakes, pick yourself up, set a new schedule, start again, and press towards the mark.