Poll: Keeping New Year's Resolutions

The party's over, 2012 is here and we're back to our daily routines, but with a new resolve to , save money,  (and the list goes on).

But how do you stick to your New Year's resolutions, many of which in a month's time will be long forgotten?

Stickk.com, co-founded by Yale University economist Dean Karlan, who has studied how people keep commitments, has users set a goal in a specific a time frame and sign a commitment contract that binds them to meeting it.

Then you pick an incentive—an amount of money or social penalty you will have to pay if you fail—and a "referee" to monitor your progress and verify your success.

Nearly 80 percent of people who set New Year’s resolutions fail, according to a 2007 study by Richard Wisemen from the University of Bristol. While resolutions are ripe for achieving, most people simply set themselves up for failure.

So how can you avoid becoming another statistic and nail your New Year’s resolution?

Start small

The most popular resolution is always “lose weight” or “stay fit.” Not surprisingly, these are the resolutions most people will ditch as soon as they can get to the nearest fast food joint. Some people set unrealistic resolutions like losing 15 pounds in two weeks, or working out seven days a week, when they haven’t worked out in three months. Many people will overwhelm themselves trying to do too much. The best way to keep your goals is to start off small and work your way up to more challenging feats.

Plan out steps to get to your goals

Too often, people focus on the end result, rather than the steps it takes to get there. Do your research on what it will take to achieve your goals and make a realistic plan to get from point A to point B. If your resolution is to lose weight, determine a diet plan and a doable exercise regimen. For any of your resolutions, determine the time, effort and money you can realistically commit to that resolution. If your goal is to take up a new hobby like gardening, find a class or join a gardening group that will get you started.

Create new habits

Old habits are hard to break, and this is one of the reasons many New Year's resolutions never have a chance. Take a look at what you have been doing in the past that kept you from achieving your goals. If your goal is to save more money, decide what your priorities are and cut back on expenses you can live without. If you want to be more organized, take a look at what’s creating the clutter (perhaps your hoarding tendencies, your laziness to clean up after yourself, or maybe your inability to figure out what goes where.) Address these bad habits immediately and decide how you will empower yourself to overcome them.

Surround yourself with positive reinforcement

Keeping resolutions and developing new habits will be hard to achieve if your environment is constantly sending you conflicting messages. Find a walking partner or someone to go to the gym with who will hold you accountable for keeping your fitness resolution. If your goal is to drink less, avoid associating with people or attending social events where temptations will be hard to ignore. Read inspirational books or surround yourself with people with similar goals, or who live your desired lifestyle. If your resolution is to take that trip to Europe, display your favorite scenic spot in Europe in a place where you’ll see it everyday (perhaps on your computer desktop?). That will keep you motivated to save your money and make the necessary plans to make that trip a reality.

Make your resolution public

Keeping your resolution to yourself only minimizes accountability to your goal. Tell your friends about your resolution, and if they’re your true friends, they’ll support you and hold you accountable. Sometimes, writing your resolutions down where you can refer back to them helps.  for your friends and family, or send updates on your resolution progress to them via social. They’ll cheer you on, and the desire not to disappoint them will motivate you to success.

Just do it

Many resolutions fail before they’re even started. For example, people will wait to start their fitness routine until they feel they’re motivated enough. Sometimes, that motivation never comes and the resolutions fade until next New Year’s Eve. Getting into a new habit and seeing the positive results coming from your new lifestyle will only further motivate you to continue keeping your resolution through the year and beyond.

With all that advice, we want to hear Cartersville's most popular New Year's resolutions! Vote in our poll for some of the 13 the most popular resolutions identified by the U.S. government. Which is your top priority in 2012?

Share other resolutions and tips for making them happen in the comments. Have you succeeded at a resolution in the past? How? Tackling one this year? What's your plan of action?