How many years have you been making New Year's resolutions now? And how many of those resolutions included the following:

Lose weight

Exercise more (or begin to exercise)

Quit smoking

Eat a healthier diet

Reduce your stress

Save more money and get out of debt

Cut down on your alcohol intake

Get more involved with your family

Go back to school or learn something new

Travel

Ok, how many of those were in your list? Do you know that ALL of them are among the most broken New Year's resolutions? Why is that? The main reason may be that you didn't really set any achievable, measurable goals in any of them.  Break them down something like this:

Lose weight – I'll lose 2 lbs. a month for the next 6 months and I'll do it by (what can you cut back on here?

Exercise more – Each day I'll take a 4 block walk (if you live in a town) or I'll walk in place in my home while watching at least 15 minutes of the evening news on TV.

Quit smoking – This is the hardest one because nicotine is physically addictive plus cigarettes help you decrease anxiety. Your best bet here is to work with a therapist who specializes in this or join a smoking cessation group.

Eat a healthier diet – Usually poor diets center around prepared or fast foods, so go online, get some simple recipes you like and make your grocery list so you can prepare meals plus have something planned to take to work or school for lunch.

Reduce your stress – I have a relaxation breathing video on my YouTube channel (http://bitly.com/1gXYA3j) that will begin to get you started. Watch it, learn it and use it several times a day to keep stress from building up.

Save more money and get out of debt – Is there a free debt counseling service in your town? I mean a free one that's run by a social service agency? Go there and get a plan plotted out for you and then start with any change you have in your pockets.  Every little bit of money can add up.

Cut down on alcohol – No sure thing here except to limit yourself to one beer a day and then only if you earn it by doing something. Put the extra money you save into your savings.

Get more involved with family – Schedule some fun family time by sitting down as a family and deciding what is possible each week. You don't have to spend money or go on an expensive vacation. There are plenty of things you can do with your family that will help the bond of love.

Go back to school or learn something new – Free courses, by major universities, are on the internet. They're called MOOC (massive open online courses) and you can easily find them with a Google search. You can take a free and easy computer programming or coding course, or something that may help with your job, a career or just plain fun.

Travel – How far do you have to "travel" to find something different? I'll bet there's something very close to where you live. If you have the money, plan on some day trips where you may visit historic sites or museums or whatever interests you. 

Don't set yourself up for another disappointment in the New Year's resolutions department this year of 2014. Make this a year "4" you and your resolutions.

Fired Up: A shrink's musings