Improve diet.

Exercise more.

Stop smoking.

Save money.

Be kinder.

Which of these admirable goals were on your New Year's resolution list? Realistically speaking, where will you be with these goals come July?

Making annual resolutions is fraught with good intentions but generally doesn't lead to many life-changing actions. Why? Because the goals are too big, too undefined, too unattainable.

If you want to make changes in your life, start small. Small successes lead to more and larger successes. Where do you start? Anyplace. The key is to start. Pick a behavior you would like to change. There is an alternative to nearly every situation.

"The first step is to set realistic goals," says David Rosenthal, Ph.D., director of Counseling and Health Promotion Services at the University of Iowa Family Care Center, UI Hospitals and Clinics.

Do you want to change your eating habits? Rosenthal suggests breaking the goal into manageable pieces. "Plan how you will reach that goal. If you want to change your eating habits, do it one meal at a time. Make the decision to eat better for one meal a week." Then three meals a week, then two days a week until you are satisfied with your behavior change.

Do you want to stop procrastinating? Again, break the process into pieces you can handle. Use the snooze on your alarm only twice instead of three or four times. Then use it only once. Then get up when it goes off the first time. You've made the first step in better planning your time.

"Always give yourself room to not meet your goals. Don't get so discouraged that you quit." If you slip back into your old routine, don't be too hard on yourself, says Rosenthal. "Pick up where you left off and keep moving forward. The important thing is not to quit."

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Don't overlook working on good habits for your brain. It needs exercise and care just like other parts of your body. Here are some mental muscle-building ideas:

Practice mentally. Imagining something and doing it are close to one and the same to the brain. Most athletes imagine doing their best -- a free throw or golf putt -- as a way to boost their real-time performance. These mental rehearsals use most of the brain connections you use during the actual performance. Do you have a presentation coming up? Run through it until your mind knows exactly what you want to do.

Use it. Don't lose it. You may reverse or slow the decline in thinking abilities by becoming more mentally active. Stimulation is a key element in maintaining and improving your brain functions. Read more. Take a class. Do word games and crossword puzzles. These help improve your concentration and reaction time.

Be positive. Emotions can affect how you think. If you think you will fail, you probably will. This may cause anxiety and loss of concentration. Visualize success instead. Learning to control and work with your emotions may help optimize performance in other areas.

Learn to relax. Using relaxation techniques, like music, helps relieve stress, keeps emotions positive, and helps you avoid performance anxiety. Music can also stimulate you -- fast-paced music increases your heartbeat and blood flow. You're pumped and ready for the challenge.

Stay fit. The brain needs a body that gets a balanced diet and regular exercise. The benefits of exercise are well documented. For example, aerobic exercises can help creativity. In addition, exercise helps improve self-esteem and self-confidence, cornerstones for doing your best.