1. Lose 20 Pounds: Though a common goal after your 37th snowman cookie, this   is not nearly specific enough. Focus on the small, daily steps you’ll use to   achieve weight loss, so that you can approach each day — and each buffet — with   a fresh start. This hopefully involves increased exercise and modified eating   habits, discussed below, rather than just that wishbone you battled over with   cousin Lenny.

  2. Get Out of Debt: This can be difficult because it’s an avoidance goal rather   than an approach goal, as are “Spend Less,” “Stop Wasting Money,” and “Ignore   the Siren Song of the Overpriced Latte.” Focus on the positive, not the negative.   Come up with a weekly dollar amount to sock away or pay off, or a specific item   or service that you’ll find a way to do more cheaply. Then track your results   weekly.

  3. Get Organized: You can start by streamlining this goal itself. “Donate, recycle   or trash four items each night” is much better than “Get the house under control,”   just as “Develop a neater home for my keys, crumpled takeout menus, and junk   mail” is much better than “Cut down on clutter.”

4. Be a Better Person: Who’s going to assess your progress on this, a focus   group of willing strangers? Instead, pick a specific behavior you can measure   yourself. “Volunteer in February at the Food Bank on 2nd Street.” “Make a list   of birthdays for the kitchen cabinet and vow to get at least 5 cards out on   time.” Or, we all can dream: “Wait more than a nanosecond before honking after   the light turns green.”

5, Exercise More: Here, you need a much better behavioral yardstick, so that   you can reward yourself when you measure up. “Take the stairs to my office on   Mondays,” or “Park in that way-off spot on Fridays,” would jumpstart much more   tangible progress.

  6. Quit Smoking: This is a healthy goal, no doubt — but it’s also one that can   be frustrating and unmotivating. After all, how will you know when you’ve achieved   it? Spell out the steps you’ll use, and give yourself plenty of reinforcement   for mini-milestones along the way. Here’s something better: “Use the patch and   an online support group to have a smoke-free week by Valentine’s Day.”

7. Eat Better: Once again, vagueness is this resolution’s downfall. Sure, we   can guess it involves becoming less intimate with the vending machine, but just   what are the specific steps you’ll take to do that? Instead, try “Order something   naturally green for Tuesday lunch,” “Replace my linguine with whole wheat,”   or “Try a new vegetarian recipe on the 15th of each month”—and give yourself   a pat on the back.