Many people set personal goals with the arrival of January, and it seems a majority of those resolutions for the New Year are forgotten by the time spring rolls around. Healthy eating, financial management and self improvement are popular goals, but they don’t work if you aren’t able to continue working on them throughout the entire year.

Here are some tips for setting good goals – like planning for a college or retirement fund – and ways to keep you motivated to continue pursuing the end target:

* Set up a little reminder every day so your resolution stays at the front of your mind. If you’re pursuing healthy eating, post a note on the refrigerator or in your kitchen to remind you about salt and calorie counts, or the number of fruits recommended for daily consumption by the United States Department of Agriculture.

* Daydream or journal about your goal. Yes, you can quickly begin to daydream goals that become unrealistic (How many people can really afford to buy a Caribbean island for their retirement paradise?), but by daydreaming or writing about your retirement goal, you can keep your plans for retiring at the top of your mind. This will allow you to formulate plans to save and put aside money to finance your retirement. Taking action can allow you to retire when you want, even if you might not quite reach the unrealistic goal of owning that Caribbean island.

* Set both short-term and long-term goals. Having short-term goals (like joining a public speaking class to better your confidence), is recommended by mygoals.com, because they are easier to accomplish, allowing you to celebrate the journey. And once you accomplish one short-term goal, set another one so you continue to work toward the final goal.

* Share your goals with your family and friends, so they can help motivate you toward accomplishing them. They might also be able to share with you ideas on achieving your end result smoother or faster. Allow them to celebrate your accomplishments as well, so they are part of the entire process.

Setting good goals is key to keeping a resolution. With some help from your friends and family, and good planning and management, you should be able to congratulate yourself frequently throughout the year on successfully reaching what you set out to achieve.