How many times have you set a massive new year's resolution while thinking, "This will be a breeze"? You imagine yourself effortlessly undertaking your action steps each day, moving toward your chosen outcome, and reaching it in record time. Unfortunately, that's not the way it usually happens.

Instead, you find yourself struggling almost from the get-go, feeling overwhelmed and frustrated when you don't seem to be progressing as quickly as you planned. Rather than acknowledging that you may have set your sights too high, you may be tempted to give up altogether. Talk about a recipe for disaster!

Unfortunately, we often fail to realize that it is far easier to think about doing something than it is to actually DO it – especially if we're trying to achieve something radically different than what we're currently used to – like a new year's resolution.

With every goal you set, understand that there is going to be a period of transition as you work toward it. You can't expect to make a giant leap from mailroom clerk to CEO in a matter of weeks, or lose 50 pounds in a month, or go from being a couch potato to a marathon runner without first undertaking months of training.

The solution for this challenge is obvious: start smaller! Not many people will enjoy hearing that, but it's necessary unless you have an iron will and LOTS of patience.

There's nothing wrong with setting a big new year's resolutiono, but you also want to set goals that are actually achievable. That means either: setting smaller goals to start with, or lowering your expectations of how and when your goal will come to fruition. Which one you choose will depend on your personal preferences.

There are people who can set a large goal and diligently work toward it for years until they achieve it. They never lose sight of what they're working toward, and they're willing to wait patiently until they get where they want to be.

Personally, that has never worked for me. I like to see results – and I want those results to come as quickly as possible! I'd rather see small and steady progress now instead of waiting for a payoff years from now. Maybe you're the same way. If so, you'll probably be happier setting smaller goals and enjoying moderate results as you go along.

Remember, you can expand your goal as you go along too! If your ultimate goal is to be earning $100,000 a year with your own business but you feel too overwhelmed to try it, start with a smaller goal of $20,000 and then raise the amount when you reach that first benchmark. If you want to lose 50 pounds, try focusing on 10 pounds at a time. Fifty pounds sounds like a lot, but when you consider that it's only 5 sets of 10 pounds, it seems a lot more achievable.

Nearly any large goal can be broken down into smaller pieces – and when you focus on achieving those smaller goals they eventually add up to big success… and that's how you can keep a new year's resolution.