It's time once again to make New Year's resolutions.  How can we stay on track in 2011?

"Keep it simple," said Sherry Clarke, a Germantown-based licensed marriage and family therapist and life coach.  Here are a few tips Clarke offers for successful resolutions:

1. "Generic goals are not helpful.  Make sure that your goals are SMART."  The acronym stands for specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and time-sensitive.  When you make vague or overly complicated goals, you set yourself up for failure. 

"If you want to lose weight, for example, fifty pounds might seem daunting," said Clarke.  "Chunk it down into little pieces."  Small, measureable steps will help you achieve the larger goal.  Be sure to write down your plans. 

2. Ask a buddy to keep you accountable or hire a life coach so you stay on track.

3. Reward yourself when you've reached your goals.  Appropriate rewards nurture you in healthy ways.  For example, if you are used to treating yourself with candy, find a way to feed yourself emotionally instead.  The right reward for each person is "a little bit different," said Clarke.  Some people haven't had much experience nurturing themselves and don't know how to meet their own needs.    "There are all kinds of things that might be a reward," she said.  "Do some introspection.  Maybe it's reading a book or watching a movie that you really wanted to see."

4. HALT when you find yourself straying from their goals.  HALT stands for hungry, angry, lonely and tired.  Any one of these feelings can derail a new habit.  When you find yourself about to break a resolution, stop and ask yourself, "What do I need right now?" and try to meet that need in a more appropriate way. 

"If you are really hungry, eat a nutritious meal or snack instead of a piece of chocolate cake," said Clarke.  "If you are angry, find a way to dispel anger."  Call a friend if you're lonely.  If you are tired, "take a nap.  If you can't take one, plan to go to bed early."   

5. Consider five major areas in our lives:  physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational.  "All of these five areas should be getting attention," said Clarke.  "If they are not getting attention, you are out of balance.  I suggest that people make goals in each of these areas so they achieve balance in their lives."  People who haven't set appropriate goals are more likely to break their New Year's resolutions. 

"If you find yourself falling short of your goals, make sure that you're not trapped by all-or-nothing thinking.  Ask yourself, why did I get stuck?  What happened?  What were the specific goals?  Were they smart and realistic?  Do I need a buddy?  Did I give myself rewards?"

Follow-through is important.  "It takes about twenty-one days to make a new habit," said Clarke. "So if you go off the wagon at fourteen days, you've got to climb back on and do another twenty-one days."

To learn more about Sherry Clarke and her work as a life coach, call her at 301-515-1321 or send her an email at spclarkemft@verizon.net.