Views on New Year’s resolutions are pretty polarized: you set them, or you don’t. But there is a significant group of people who make resolutions, approaching the new year with an enthusiastic vigor for making change, and inevitably give them up.

Maybe interest wanes, or there isn’t enough time, or they forget they even made resolutions in the first place. But a major reason people often fail at resolutions because they set unrealistic goals. They fall short of those standards and just decide it’s easier to throw in the towel.

For example, many resolutions rotate around the theme of improving lifestyle and becoming healthier. Gyms and fitness centers everywhere are notorious for increased traffic after Jan. 1. With health-related resolutions, a tendency is to make very unrealistic expectations. A lifestyle based on nutritious eating and exercise often is a major life change, especially for someone who has never really given healthy eating or physical activity a second glance.

For a person who has never exercised, going to the gym five times a week is a huge commitment. Exercise can leave you feeling tired and sore at the very start of a regimen, and it can take some time to fit regular workouts into your schedule. Vowing to make it to the gym two to three times a week, and get more active overall during the workday, might be a more realistic approach. Then, once you’re comfortable with that, add on a day or two, and work up to five gym sessions per week.

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t challenge yourself and make resolutions that aren’t so easy to keep. But consider setting realistic goals for yourself, based on your personality and character. You know what you are capable of. Accomplishing a benchmark makes it more likely that you will keep it up, and gradually add on to your new routine. And isn’t that the point of a resolution in the first place?

Here are some other suggestions for making resolutions that are more likely to stick:

• Seek out the help of others. If you want to be more organized, find a professional organizer, or check out Web sites or books on the topic. Or, mine your family and friends for their skills. If your sister loves trying new exercise classes, ask her for suggestions on something that you might enjoy, whatever your fitness level may be.

• Tag team your resolution. Goals are often easier to achieve when you have the motivation of a partner, and are responsible for boosting his or her spirits as well. Making a change together also will help you bask in the other’s success.

• Focus on cultivating a new attitude. Try to be more patient during arguments. Work on not holding grudges. Be nicer to your sibling, or parents, or the telemarketer that called during dinner…again. Or adopt a blanket statement — “I am going to be more active” — and apply this as often as you can, wherever you can, during each day. Park your car further away from the office. Walk to your co-worker’s desk instead of calling. It takes a few extra minutes, but it all adds up, and these steps keep your resolution at the forefront.

• Consider that you might fail. This is where realistic expectations come in handy. Life happens: family, work, emergencies, etc. So, you might waver from healthy eating habits and indulge at a co-worker’s party, or skip a week of workouts because your schedule gets too hectic. Accept it, and pick things up as soon as you can.

And ultimately, if you feel like it’s time to make a change in your life, you can start at any time. You don’t have to wait for Jan. 1. Happy New Year!