I made a small goal in January to not have any sugary drinks (alcohol included) for one month. I've done that before -- made that goal in my head -- but I never stuck to it. This time, I did it differently. I wrote my goal down, and told my friends and family of it. Doing so made it seem real, whereas keeping the goal to myself before made it easy to fall off. Maybe it's all down to pride -- once I tell someone else about the goal, it means someone will know if I fail. And I don't want to look like a failure, especially when it's such a simple task.

So here's my suggestion: Write down your goals, whether they involved sugary drinks or not. You want to be making a better salary next year? Write it down. You want to have lost 20 pounds by next summer? Write it down. Once it's on paper, for someone to see (even if it's just you), it becomes very real and I would take a guess that you're 100% more likely to actually follow through.