The new year is rapidly approaching, and roughly 1 in 3 Americans are making a list of resolutions.  According to a Marist poll taken in December 2009, the top vows are to lose weight (19%) and exercise more (10%).  These types of resolutions are kind of like babies: fun to make but difficult to maintain.  That is why the Courthouse is here to help you do it right!

A few tips to follow as you make your resolutions:

• Narrow it down to one or two goals.  Anything more and you won’t be able to focus enough energy to be successful on any of your resolutions.  Be sure your goals are attainable.  When you shoot too high, you are likely to quit earlier and only set yourself up for failure.
• Break down a larger goal into smaller sub-goals.  For instance, you may want to lose 40 pounds, so it’s easier to make a plan (i.e. lose 5 pounds a month) that you can stick to and track.  **Remember, doctors define healthy weight loss as 1-2 pounds per week.
• Reward yourself.  When you achieve a sub-goal, give yourself some credit.  Now, that doesn’t mean you should go wolf down a whole carton of ice cream, but maybe treat yourself to a movie with friends or that new jacket you’ve been eying.
• Tell everyone you know your goals!  This way, if you start to slack off at any point, you have your friends and family to hold you accountable.  Social media is a great tool to help you do this.  Use Facebook Places to check-in at the Courthouse each time you go, and if the check-ins begin to dwindle, ALL your friends and family will see and hound you to keep with it!

Tell us, what are your goals for 2011, and how do you plan on achieving them?