With every 365 days that pass, many of us set ourselves a new personal target for the year ahead; whether it is to lose weight, exercise more, quit smoking or even find a new job.

The harsh reality of this however is that 78% of all New Year's resolutions fail, leaving us waiting for the next year to bring on even more absurd life changing decisions.

But what exactly are the top five New Year's resolutions that almost always fail and why?

1. Losing weight: with Britain topping the scales as Europe's fattest country, it is no surprise that the most popular New Year's resolution is to lose some weight. The biggest road block for those looking to shed those pounds isn't the will power, it is to expect too much too soon. Hitting the gym and eating healthily all at once is great, but to expect miracles just after a couple of weeks can have a negative outcome as you believe it is having no effect and give up. Doing things gradually and in small steps will allow you to see what really works for your body and won't lead to any false expectations.
2. Get fit: Looking to go from a six pack of beers to a hard six pack of pure muscle? Then don't use a body mass index (BMI) machine as a measuring tool of your success. Too many people believe that as they lose weight and lower their BMIs, then their muscles will become more prominent. However this measurement does not take into account how much muscle is in your body versus the amount of fat. For the best results an equal mix of cardio, muscle training and a low fat lean diet will help you to reach that beach god status.
3. Quit smoking: The start of the year is the most popular time of year for smokers to try and quit. With the current strain smoking related illnesses put on the NHS, this can only be a good thing, right? What many don't realise is that people who used to smoke and then quit are 80% more likely to get diabetes than those who have never smoked at all. This isn't an excuse to not give up however, but this is a result of the overeating that many experience while quitting. Managing your cravings for cigarettes and then food cravings on top of that isn't easy, but it is the double edged sword most will face when giving up this year. Many doctors' surgeries will have leaflet displays that can supply you with further information.
4. Find a new job: In previous years, this resolution might have seemed fairly straight forward for most people. However with the recession still weighing down on the country's shoulders, demand still far out reaches supply. Depending on the type of recovery the UK goes through, the country won't realistically start to see some good growth until 2011 which is when new vacancies and opportunities will arise. So be certain that the new job you are looking at, can offer you better job security than the one you have and not just the potential pay increase; employment law doesn't really support you until you've completed a year in a job. It may be best to stay put and save this resolution for next year.
5. Quit drinking: If the plan is to quit drinking this year, then you might want to reconsider. Research suggests that moderate drinkers have a 54% lower risk of having a heart attack than those who don't drink at all. This would suggest that this resolution needs to be changed to "quit binge drinking" or if you wouldn't call yourself a moderate drinker, it might have to be "must drink more".

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