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If you're like many people I know, you probably consider the beginning of the New Year as a fresh slate. You might have vowed to eat healthier foods, lose weight and/or exercise more. Perhaps you've pledged to cut back on your alcohol consumption after a social December.

Now comes the hard part: sticking to your resolution. Difficult perhaps, but not impossible. According to a study from the University of Washington in Seattle, 63 per cent of people surveyed managed to keep their primary New Year's resolution past February. How successful you'll be at making your resolutions more than wishful thinking depends on how you approach your goals. In this study, the keys to making a successful resolution were confidence (believing in one's ability to make change) and commitment to goals.

Persistence also paid off. Of the people who successfully achieved their top resolution, only 40 per cent did so on their first attempt. The rest required multiple tries; 17 per cent finally succeeded after more than six attempts.

The following strategies can help you turn your good intentions into action and stay motivated along the way.

Make it a priority

To be successful, you have to truly want to make a change. Making a lifestyle change -- be it eating better, exercising more, or quitting smoking -- has to be among your highest priorities. Why bother setting a goal if you're not truly committed?

You need to own your goals. Your goals should be for you, and only you.

Put it on paper

Write down your goals and read them daily. Keep written goals in a prominent place such as on your desk, on the fridge, in your BlackBerry or as your screen saver. Written goals serve as your contract; they remind you of your commitment, provide focus and help keep you on track.

Be specific

Successful goals state, in specific terms, what you want to achieve. Instead of saying, "I will eat healthier," spell out precisely how you are going to do that. Will you eat at least two fruit and three vegetable servings a day? Eat breakfast everyday before you leave for work? Limit unhealthy snacks or desserts to once a week? Go for a power walk at lunch?

Break it down

Break lofty goals into manageable pieces. If you intend to lose 20 pounds or more this year, set monthly weight-loss targets of four to eight pounds. Setting bite-size goals boosts self-confidence and motivation because they're easier (and quicker) to achieve.

If you've pledged to eat more healthily, make one small change each week and build on your successes. For example, the first week you might commit to eating breakfast each day. The following week you might decide to replace your afternoon coffee with a piece of fruit, and so on. Making small changes each week adds up over time.

Get organized

Whether your plan is to eat more meals at home instead of in restaurants or to get to the gym more often, neither will happen if you're not organized. On the weekend, spend a few minutes thinking about the week ahead. Map out your meals, healthy snacks and workouts. Use your weekly planner to determine your grocery list.

If scheduling a week's worth of meals seems too daunting, plan for only one or two days. Determine what foods you'll need to bring to work and what you'll prepare for dinner. If you're going to eat in a restaurant, decide in advance what type of meal you'll order. Planning means you'll be less likely to give in to temptation.

Assess your hunger

If downsizing portions is on your resolution list, you might need to learn to listen to your body. To help prevent overeating, use the hunger scale provided with this column to assess how you feel before you eat, when you're halfway through a meal, and after you finish eating. You should stop eating when you reach level 5.

Be assertive

Learn to say no. Whether that means turning down sweets at the office or asking a server to bring salad dressing on the side, being assertive will get you closer to your goals. Putting your foot down isn't always easy, especially with family and friends. Remind yourself that changing your eating habits is within your power; nobody else is going to do it for you.

Chart your progress

The more monitoring you do -- and feedback you get -- the better you'll do. Keep a daily food and exercise diary for January and February. If weight loss is among your goals, track your weight weekly and your body measurements once a month (e.g. waist, hips, chest). Charting your progress provides awareness, focus and motivation.

Anticipate roadblocks

Don't expect to be perfect; there are bound to be a few glitches along the way. However, you can make change easier by making a list of potential obstacles, such as junk food in the house, grocery shopping on an empty stomach, skipping breakfast and so on. Identifying pitfalls makes it easier to avoid them.

All-or-nothing thinking is a detriment to resolution success. If you allow yourself to lapse occasionally, rather than beating yourself up, you'll be much more likely to pick up where you left off.

Stay positive

Instead of dwelling on the sacrifices, focus on the positive changes you're making, such as your healthy eating habits, improvements in your fitness and the increased amount of energy you feel.

Follow-up

Once you've achieved your goal, give yourself a big pat on the back. But don't get overconfident. Just because your clothes feel great or your cholesterol numbers are in the healthy range doesn't mean you can get away with second helpings at dinner or a few extra desserts each week. It's a slippery slope that can lead you back to your starting point.

Resolutions are a process, not a one-time effort. Even if you are successful, you need to follow up on your habits over the months and years to come. Do whatever works for you: Keep a food diary regularly, check your body measurements or see a nutritionist for ongoing support.

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic, is on CTV's Canada AM every Wednesday. Visit her website at lesliebeck.com.

How hungry are you?

To downsize your portions, assess your hunger level before, during and after a meal. You should stop eating when you reach level 5.

1. You feel starving. You can't concentrate because you feel so empty.

2. You feel hungry, but you could wait a few minutes before eating.

3. You feel a slightly hungry. You could eat something, but not a large meal.

4. Your hunger has almost disappeared. You could eat another bite.

5. You are no longer hungry. You feel satisfied, not full.

6. You feel slightly full.

7. You feel overly full and uncomfortable. Your waistband is noticeably tighter.

8. "Thanksgiving Day" full: You feel stuffed, bloated, even nauseous.

SOURCE: LESLIE BECK, RD