Maybe you are among the dwindling number of Americans who still welcome the New Year with resolutions to improve your life. The reason less and less people make resolutions is because while they may be easy to make, they’re difficult to keep.

“The problem is that most resolutions are about changing behavior through discipline, but discipline can’t solve the problem if you don’t address the root cause of the behavior you want to change,”according to life-change expert Janice Lindgren of The Garden Company.

“The only way to truly change behavior is to change what you want, and our wants are buried deep within our psyches and rooted in our past,” Lindgren said.

Although Americans seem to be abandoning the tradition of New Year’s resolutions – surveys indicate that less than 45 percent of adults will make resolutions this year – “There is real value in creating a plan, and committing to it, to effect change in your life,” according to Lindgren.

So what do you need to know in order to succeed with your New Year’s resolutions? “There’s no one silver bullet that works for everyone,” Lindgren said. “But there are things you should know, and things you can do, that will increase your potential for success.”

Write down your goals or resolutions. By writing them down, you’ll feel like you are making a contract with yourself. Writing out your thoughts can also help you focus on what you really want to accomplish in the coming year.

Don’t overdo it with too many goals at once or make unrealistic resolutions. “The concept that you have to be better, be harder on yourself or get tough is merely a boot-camp quick fix,” Lindgren said.

Keep your plans simple, specific and manageable or you might find yourself overwhelmed and therefore more likely to give up. For example, rather than resolving to “eat better” in 2008, refine your goal to “have a salad for lunch at least three times a week.” Instead of “exercise more,” try “walk for 30 minutes four times a week.”

Explore the root of the behavior you want to change. “The question isn’t whether you’re overeating, not getting enough exercise or sleep, or drinking too much,” Lindgren said. “The question is why are you doing those things? What is the underlying trigger for this behavior?”

View change as a positive thing. It’s not unusual or even unreasonable to be cautious of change, but you’ll never be able to achieve your New Year’s resolutions – or any other life-altering goal – if you view change as an enemy. “Growth is nothing more than directed change,” according to Lindgren.

Don’t go it alone. If you feel you need help to really achieve your life-changing goals, find a local organization or counselor that can help you.

“People need to get beyond the weight of their past disappointments to maintain hope and move forward,” Lindgren said.