Every year people use the new year as a way to better themselves, but as we all know, these resolutions often fall to the wayside early on.

According to Time, ten common broken resolutions are to lose weight and get fit, quit smoking, learn something new, eat healthier and diet, get out of debt and save money, spend more time with family, travel to new places, be less stressed, volunteer and drink less.

There are many reasons why people break their resolutions, but there are ways to make sure you keep them.

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I recently read an article by Forbes about how to make your resolutions stick, and I encourage you to check it out. The author, Amy Morin, looks at the psychological aspect of why people fail to keep their resolutions. My favorite is her explanation of the readiness to change.

"Choosing to overhaul your behavior based on the date of the calendar, without really being ready, will only set you up for failure"

Morin suggests using January to research options, for example how to quit smoking, rather than just quitting at midnight.

Now on the physically doing it side, the American Psychological Association has you covered.

They suggest easy tips to keep your resolutions, such as starting small.

This has been a consistent problem with my own promises. The idea, I thought, is to make a major change in yourself to be a better person. This year, I'm taking this advice to heart.

Instead of deciding how much weight I would like to lose, I'm just going to schedule two days a week to go to the gym and pass on desert two or three times a week. Instead of thinking big, I'll commit to smaller actions that will help.

The second tip is to change one behavior at a time.

I haven't had a real problem with this, but I know others who have. The article says bad behaviors are built up over time and need to be taken down the same way.

Someone I knew tried to quit smoking and go on a diet at the same time. Needless to say, she cracked under the pressure and ate a whole chocolate cake while chain smoking.

Actually, she started smoking again two days later, but she's still swapping out desert for a little salad sometimes.

Just like starting small, try not to change too much at once.

What it all boils down to is we, the resolution failures, are thinking too big. We need to slow down and realize that not every mistake is a failure. What we need to do is set smaller, more realistic goals to accomplish.

For example, instead of deciding you need to lose 100 pounds, aim for 40. It is much less overwhelming, and if you lose more, you'll feel much more accomplished.

Personally, I set larger goals such as this and then get overwhelmed to the point where I completely quit whatever was trying to change.

If you're like me and you get overwhelmed trying to quit 'bad habits', just make a promise to cut back.

I could never give up chocolate, but I can cut back on desert. I could never give up gaming, but I can cut back on week days. I could never give up pizza, but I can eat it less often.

Get it? Take those habits you want to change or eliminate and just try doing a little at a time. Being more realistic when setting goals for yourself is the best way to ensure your success. You're the only one who truly knows your limits.