The end of one year with the beginning of another brings a sense of renewal and that type of "clean slate" feeling. For almost all of us, this encourages us to set goals for the upcoming year, whether it be to lose weight, go to church more often, or learn a foreign language. Goals are great ways to kick start a positive change in one's life. However, if not set realistically and attainable, it could make a seemingly good thing turn into a huge disappointment and, in the end, may cause more harm than good. Below are some tips that have proven to increase your chances of success in 2009 and beyond!

All too often people select several challenging goals to pile onto their plate. For example, many people decide to lose weight, exercise everyday (ever walked into a gym the first week of January?), eat perfectly, and reduce stress all at once. This is likely too much to expect of oneself. Instead these goals can be focused on one at a time and added in steps as you succeed over a realistic time frame.

Select your goal based upon what YOU want, not family and friends. After all, after you attain your goal they will also benefit from your success.

There are two types of goals: outcome goals (bad) and behavioral goals (good).

An example of an outcome goal is simply the statement: "I need to lose 20 pounds before Spring."

An example of a behavioral goal: "I am going to begin adding exercise and watch my sweet intake." By default, you can very likely lose 20 pounds by Spring. Don't get hung up on the numbers, focus on the behaviors and you will more likely succeed.

Making the resolution is the easy part; making it happen is another story. Plan your line of action and set a reasonable timeline to break up the goal into smaller pieces. That way, it won't seem as overwhelming.

If you get off track, don't throw in the towel. Get back up on that horse and try again! Certainly every great invention didn't come out perfectly on the first try. Allowing yourself to fail and then continuing to try by modifying your plan along the way is part of the process.

Most importantly, your success depends on whether or not you are truly ready to make a change in your life. Obviously, simply making a resolution will not magically make it happen without some effort. Many people fail because they do not stick with it long enough to see the benefit to their lives. For those that do and see the prize, they are more likely to keep up the fight!