It’s a stark irony of the Western calendar that the odometer turns over smack dab in the middle of winter—the one time of the year when most people can’t rouse themselves to clean their bathrooms, much less make an ambitious, life-changing, behavioral U-turn. If you’re the type who likes to ring in the New Year with an engraved list of resolutions, read on for hints about how best to keep them.

Example of New Year’s Resolutions: Spend More Time with Family & Friends, Fit in Fitness, Tame the Bulge, Quit Smoking, Enjoy Life More, Quit Drinking, Get Out of Debt, Learn Something New, Help Others, Get Organized

Aim low: It goes without saying that most New Year’s resolutions are easier announced (or written) than done—but if you set the bar too high, you’re doomed from the start. Instead of a sweeping declaration like “I will lose 30 pounds by April and finally fit into that dress,” target a goal that’s more attainable, like losing 10 or 15 pounds.

Don’t overload yourself: It’s difficult enough for the average person to follow through on one ambitious New Year’s resolution; why on earth would you saddle yourself with three or four? Choose the most pressing issue at hand—losing weight, finding a girlfriend, improving your relationship with your parents—and concentrate on that. Trying to do everything simultaneously practically guarantees failure across the board.

Tell everyone you know: One school of thought says that New Year’s resolutions are best kept to oneself, but look at it this way: the more people to whom you announce your resolution (say, to get out of your dead-end job by spring), the more people there’ll be to prod you along if you fall behind. There’s no shame in seeking help if you can’t accomplish your resolution on your own.

Reward yourself: Following through on a New Year’s resolution is rarely easy, so a little Pavlovian conditioning goes a long way. If you’ve resolved to shop less, stroke yourself for not buying those shoes by springing for a steaming hot cappuccino at the mall. If you’ve resolved to be nicer to people, buy yourself a nice jacket after enduring that tedious cocktail party without delivering any insults.

Wait until spring: Sometimes the best way to accomplish a New Year’s resolution is to make it at a time of year of your choosing, rather than the one dictated by the calendar. May 1 is a good alternate date, since the change of season will neatly coincide with the change you’re hoping to accomplish in yourself. Adopted by http://www.ehow.com

Things You Should Never Do at Work!

To avoid a serious faux pas - and possible career sabotage - stay clear of the following workplace sins:

Stealing - Whether you think that the company "owes" you things like Post-its, pens and other office supplies, or you simply don't think it's a big deal, you should be sure about that in case your boss or co-worker catches you.

Blaming someone else for your mistake - It's dishonest, childish and tacky. Very tacky. Sure, having to admit you made a mistake is embarrassing, but not nearly as embarrassing as it would be to have to admit you lied about it or tried to cover it up.

Spreading gossip - Who knows why people get a certain high from hearing juicy gossip. Many of us are guilty of passing along at least a few rumors at times, but the more you can avoid doing so, the better off you will be. Try to avoid it. In addition, if you hear it, don't repeat it.

Calling in sick when you are perfectly healthy - If you wake up and just cannot face the idea of going in to work, there's no reason (unless this happens every day) you shouldn't give yourself a vacation, personal or mental health day. Nevertheless, calling in sick is not only irresponsible and insensitive to the co-workers who have to cover for you, it could also be grounds for firing if you're caught.

Or showing up when you aren't - The admiration your co-workers show you for coming in to work despite having the flu will be short-lived: It won't take long for those around you to tire of hearing hacking, sniffling and coughing coming from your desk, nor will they appreciate being exposed to your germs.

Abusing office technology - This includes (but is not limited to): spending a significant amount of time on personal phone calls, e-mails or instant messages; using office time to type and print out the pieces of your screenplay; going online to catch up on last night's episode of "My Life on the D List"; and using the office printer to make the invites to your holiday party.

Getting too comfortable - Dressing professionally is just as important as behaving professionally in the workplace. No matter how long you've been with the company, how "cool" your boss is, how much sleep you got the night before, or how cold or hot it is outside, you should always maintain a clean, workplace-appropriate appearance. Adopted by CareerBuilder.com.