There's a trick to keeping your resolutions. It's amazingly simple, yet so effective. Ready?

Tell people about your resolutions.

That's it.

Why is this so effective? Because you've now taken your resolutions from private to public. Now people know.

We are more likely to keep resolutions once we've made them public because we want to look consistent. Society values consistency.

Think about it - would you rather have a consistent surgeon operate on you or an inconsistent one? Would you rather work for a company that is consistent with its paychecks or inconsistent? My point exactly.

And telling others about your resolutions is effective even if they never mention the resolutions to you again. You've made a pact of consistency all the same.

Want to make the resolutions stick even more? Tell someone you hold in high esteem about your resolutions. Now you have even more motivation to look consistent.

If you don't feel comfortable telling others about your resolutions, at least write them down. Now you're engaging the principle of commitment. (Society values commitment just as much as it values consistency.)