1. Not seriously considered

When do most people set New Year's Resolutions? At a party.

People are going around the room, and each person blurts out their resolution. This type of resolution is so spontaneous that it rarely can be taken seriously – unless it was truly considered before the party.

2. Set to "top" someone else's resolution –

Setting a resolution just to "be better" than someone else's resolution is not your own resolution. e.g. Someone says they want to lose 5 lbs so you say you will lose 10 lbs to "top" that person. Competition with someone else can make achieving a resolution fun, but not when it was not your intention in the first place.

3. No substance or value

Some people make frivolous resolutions – e.g. "I'll stop drinking/smoking for a week." Because there is no real intention here to keep the resolution, it dissolves quickly. Resolutions need substance or value to the person if it is to be accomplished.

4. No deadlines

When there is no deadline, and nothing to work toward, there is no reason to continue doing it past the first day or the first week. Deadlines help people achieve their goals as they have a timeline to strive for.

5. No rewards

Achieving goals are often accomplished because there is a reward attached to it. "If I lose 15 lbs, I can buy new clothes." "If I stop smoking, I will buy myself a new set of golf clubs or a new car." Rewards that are something the person wants, help the person achieve the goal.

6. Not enough time

It takes 18-21 days to make or break a habit, so if you quit after a few days or two weeks, you haven't practiced the new goal enough to make it a habit and sustain it. 18-21 days is 4 weeks for a work week, so you might want to do something new for at least a month.