When the new year rolls around, are you setting near-impossible goals for yourself, only to be disappointed by February (or sooner!)?  Or are you thinking long-term and figuring out ways to build new habits for yourself that you know you can keep once established?  The new year offers us a chance to start fresh and create new patterns and routines in our lives that will move us in more positive directions.

So perhaps instead of resolving to lose X number of pounds, you can resolve to change what you eat.  And let's not do it all at once; maybe January is the month to cut back on soda at home, and February we cut back on fried foods, and so on. 

Or maybe we tackle it from an exercise point of view.   Make January the month where you go for a walk three times a week.  Don't worry about how long that walk is; it's the act of walking and getting out of the house that's important.  Then, come February, you can tinker with that goal to reflect your new habit.

Take advantage of this time of reflection as well as looking forward to find ways to improve your life, one step at a time. 

Jennifer Thompson owns and manages DivaTribe (http://www.divatribe.com).