Frequently Broken New Years Resolutions

Here's a list and some suggestions to keep you on track.

Anyone who has made resolutions knows how difficult they are to keep. Some of them come to a crashing halt in the first few weeks.

Modern Lifestyle has compiled a list of the 5 most frequently broken resolutions.:

1. Lose weight

This is not only the most common resolution, but the most commonly broken, as well. People who set weight loss as their New Year’s resolution usually don’t accomplish their goal.

How to avoid failure: Set small, achievable and measurable goals to reach throughout the year. Instead of saying you want to loose 100 lbs, for example, aim to lose 5 to 10 lbs per month for the remainder of the year.

2. Quit Smoking

Another common resolution is to kick the smoking habit – for good this time. Unfortunately, most smokers go back to smoking before the next New Year rolls around.

How to avoid failure: Make sure you’ve got a solid support network and consider talking to your doctor about ways to quit.

3. Drink Less

This is a common one, especially after a night of partying hard on New Year’s Eve. Most people don’t make it through the month of January, however, let alone the entire year.

How to avoid failure: If you’re serious about cutting back, get a support system in place and try to plan your activities around things that don’t involve drinking

4. Learn a new skill

From wanting to learn to play guitar to mastering the art of baking, people often set out to learn a new skill in the new year. Once the novelty wears off, however, many simply give up and move onto something else.

How to avoid failure: Plan to practice a little every day, even if only for 10 or 15 minutes. You might not become the next Jimi Hendrix or win the Master Chef challenge, but you’ll see marked improvement if you stick it out.

5. Get Out of Debt and Save Money

Who doesn’t want to save a little cash and lower their debt? Unfortunately, getting out of debt and saving money is a lot harder than it sounds, and many people throw in the towel early on.

How to avoid failure: Take a good look at your current expenses and shave off what you can. Use that money to pay down debt and tuck a little away each paycheck.