Making a New Year’s resolution is easy; keeping it is a different matter. Perhaps that’s because we have a tendency to bite off more than we can chew.

Still, resolutions can serve a useful purpose, especially if they motivate us to live a healthy, purpose-filled life.

Even though we’re four days into a New Year, there’s no reason to throw in the towel on making New Year’s resolutions. To help you get started, here are five tips that might prove helpful: (1) Be realistic about setting achievable goals. (2) Describe your resolutions in specific terms. (3) Break down large goals into smaller ones. (4) Find alternatives to a behavior that you want to change, and make this part of your resolution plan. (5) Above all, aim for things that are truly important to you, not what you think you ought to do or what others expect of you.

Here’s a few of the more than 300 suggested resolutions listed on the website newyearsresolutions.com.

• Learn what all of the buttons on my gadgets are for.

• Don’t forget those who helped me reach the top

• Don’t be so critical of others

• Make time for my family

• Respect other people, as I would like to be respected

• Try my hardest at everything I do

• Never take my family for granted

• Eat healthy and exercise more

• Drive slower and don’t get a speeding ticket this year

• Make some new friends

• Read a worthwhile book

• Don’t try to control the lives of other people

• Say ‘thank you’ and “you’re welcome’ more often

• Don’t expect others to do my job

• Buy or rescue a pet and love it

The list could go on and on; however, the object is not to see how many one can list but to be sincere and resolute about keeping the ones we choose. Best wishes for your success in 2012.