Choosing a New Year’s resolution is one of the hardest tasks people face when starting off the new year. Not only is choosing a resolution difficult, but it is more challenging to maintain it. Weight loss, improve finances, exercise more, live a healthier lifestyle, get a new job, reduce smoking, improve in managing stress better, starting a new activity, or even learning to say no. The list can go on forever.

It can be very helpful to make a new year's resolution. It is a fact that one who makes a resolution is 10 times more likely to achieve it than someone who doesn’t make one. Just like basketball superstar Michael Jordan said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take." This goes to show that people who at least attempt to make a resolution have a higher likelihood of achieving it. Actually, the percent of Americans who make a resolution are at a staggering 75 percent.

Now, we are entering the third week of January. You have already made your New Year’s resolution. Everything should be going smoothly, right? It has been statistically proven that one out of every three people ditch their vows by the end of January. Those reasons can include finding themselves too busy or just not being committed. Some others reasons can be that people set up goals that are too big to achieve, it may cost too much, and losing interest. Whatever it may be, make it something you feel you can do.

If you understand that you are not going to lose 50 pounds in a day, or even figure out how to stop procrastinating in a day, you will have a much higher chance of reaching your goal. If you set a goal that is way too big, you will likely lose interest quickly -- which will make you want to quit.

These goals are not something that can be changed in a day. These goals are going to take time. One could start out a goal by making sure to do 200 push ups a day, three times a week -- and as you keep going it will get much easier. Another idea to help maintain your resolution is to tell others about it. John Norcross who is a professor at University of Scranton and the author of "Changeology: 5 Steps to Realizing your Goals and Resolutions," states that, “going public increases accountability and allows for more support.” For example, my goal for this new year is to make myself a more confident writer and to start out that that goal I have decided to write an article (my first one) for the public.

I want to become a better writer and would love to hear your feedback in the comments section below.