Every year we make New Year's resolutions and every year we break them, whether it's the decision to give up smoking, stop eating chocolate for breakfast or to find a good man!

Perhaps the most honest resolution was discovered during a recent survey - 'Rip up resolution list after two weeks'.

So to make sure you actually succeed in 2008, once and for all, we've asked top life coach Matt Caulfield for some advice on making resolutions a reality.

"Most women generally have an aim in mind, like dropping a dress size, that could be achieved more easily by setting some specific goals to get there," says Matt.

"If you make a tiny change in the way you live your life and extrapolate that over a long period of time, you'll be surprised what a big difference it can make."

Here he lists his ten steps to resolution success: 1: GET SOMEONE ELSE INVOLVED "Getting started is fairly easy, but sticking to it can be very hard," says Matt. "One very good idea is getting someone with a similar goal to work at it with you."

Working together will keep you focused and motivated. However, don't automatically involve your best friend, who - let's face it - might encourage you to give it all up if you're making her feel bad.

2: TELL EVERYONE If you really mean it, tell everybody you know. Says Matt: "This means you'll be embarrassed to give it up too easily." That includes your boss, your next-door neighbour and yes, even your mother-in-law.

3: BE HONEST Do you really want to achieve what you are doing? Or are you only doing it because you are feeling pressure from the outside? If you are making changes to please someone else, Matt believes it's unlikely you'll go through with it - so take stock.

4: THINK BIG Although you think it might be easier to achieve something small, it's better to think on a large scale. Even if you don't quite make it, you'll have done a lot more than if you only got halfway through a smaller target.

5: BE REALISTIC That said, be aware of what you are trying to achieve and make sure you understand the timeframe. If you are trying to lose four stone, you are not going to do it in a week, contrary to what it might say on the tin.

Understand that it could take you several months to do what you want to do.

6: LIVE YOUR SUCCESS Even before you start, imagine just how you will feel when you complete your resolution. See it, hear it, smell it and taste it. Every time you feel like you don't want to carry on, conjure up those thoughts in your head and it will help you push on.

7: CONCENTRATE ON THE POSITIVE The word 'DON'T' is evil. If you are told NOT to do something, that's the thing you want to do most in the world.

If you want to stop smoking, work out why you want to and incorporate the answers into your resolution.

8: FEEDBACK It's always good to keep a log of what you are doing and hear how other people think you are getting on. You need a way of testing yourself and you should do it regularly, according to Matt.

If you want to lose three stone, you need to bite the bullet and weigh yourself regularly.

9: ENJOY YOURSELF If you have fun executing your resolution, you are a hundred times more likely to achieve it. Life is about the journey, not the destination, so ask yourself the most fun way for you to get where you want to be and go about it that way.

10: ECOLOGY CHECK This is a posh way of saying: 'Make sure that there is a positive relationship being maintained between the organism (you) and the environment around you.' if you are spending every waking hour at the gym, are you neglecting your friends and family? Try to fit a resolution into your lifestyle and you'll have better chance of success.