They're uttered with such conviction, but often forgotten shortly thereafter.

The time of resolving to improve an aspect of our lives is upon us. This year, as you sip champagne to toast the new year and vow to yourself that you'll get in shape, stop smoking or write that book, take these tips to keep that promise.

Get in shape

Anyone who has tried to lose weight knows it's never just as simple as it seems.

Eating healthfully eventually gives way to eating quickly. Daily workouts fade into weekly, then biweekly sessions. Suddenly, months pass and your goal of losing 50 pounds by summer seems to be a long shot.

Josh Hubby, co-owner and trainer at Physique 4 Life Fitness in Temecula, said people are more likely to succeed at their goal of getting in shape if they follow simple steps.

The first step, Hubby said, is to set a realistic and measurable goal and break down that goal into weekly and daily goals. If the goal is to lose 50 pounds in a year, Hubby said that to start heading toward that goal, you should set a shorter-term goal of losing one to two pounds a week.

That weekly goal can be broken down further to a daily goal of exercising 40 minutes every day.

"Say to yourself, 'My daily goal is going to help me accomplish my weekly goal, and my weekly goal is going to help me accomplish my overall goal,'" he said.

Writing those goals down is another important step, he said, because it creates a sort of contract with yourself.

Next, and probably most important, Hubby said, is finding someone to be accountable to.

He warned, however, against relying on a friend or spouse, because their personal relationship with you may inhibit their ability to be strict enough to keep you on track. Someone who is in great shape themselves, or someone you are paying to help you lose weight, Hubby said, will be more reliable in holding you responsible for your own weight loss.

"Just like anything in life, it's really hard to do it on your own," Hubby said. "So there's a reason your accountability partner is there -- to hold you accountable and keep you excited about it. That's how you're going to stay consistent."

No butts

Though the ill effects of tobacco use are clear, the American Heart Association estimates 50 million U.S. residents smoke. Admitted smokers may pay higher health insurance premiums because of the increased health risks associated with their addictions, but many find it easier to fork over the money than to lay off the nicotine.

The American Lung Association has a few tips for smokers who are finally, or again, ready to quit:

Pick a date and mark it on your calendar. Fill your day with extra exercise to encourage healthy lung use and reduce stress that would normally trigger a desire to smoke. Eat healthy, drink plenty of water and get plenty of sleep.

Ask friends to help by going for walks with you when the urge arises. And consider joining a quitting group for communal support. Freedom From Smoking support groups are available online at www.ffsonline.org.

Other tips, provided by www.quitsmoking.com, include writing a list of several difficult things you've accomplished in your life to help you "realize that you have the guts and determination to quit smoking."

Smokers can also try giving their packs of cigarettes away so they are forced to ask for one each time they want to smoke.

Write it already

So the idea for a fantastic novel has been floating around in your head. You lie awake at night imagining plot twists and character names, yet on the rare occasion you actually sit down to write, you find yourself staring at a blank screen, daring it to fill up with words.

Linda Seed, a former newspaper editor and writing coach, said the most essential step in writing a book is to write. Every day.

"I would say that a lot of people get very intimidated by the idea of writing because they think that everything they put down on paper has to be brilliant," the Murrieta woman said. "But if they could just get over that thought and then just get something on paper every day, then it becomes a habit."

Free-writing, a practice of writing nonstop without paying attention to grammar, spelling or anything else that would stop you from typing, can be beneficial in that it can provide plenty of content to pull from.

"You can't take the time to worry about whether it's good," Seed said. "Just get something down on paper."

Contact staff writer Nelsy Rodriguez at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2626, or nrodriguez@californian.com.