If you've already abandoned your New Year's resolutions, don't despair. Every day is a good day to set new goals. Just be sensible about your objective-and stick with it if you want to succeed, says Allison Whitehead, author of the e-book The 5 Secrets of Successful Goal Setting (available at lulu.com).

"The most important step is to be realistic," she explains. "If you set a huge goal, such as saving $20,000, you need to give yourself a realistic amount of time to achieve it. If you only earn $15,000 a year, and you've given yourself just six months to reach your goal … well, you'd better have some darn good- and legal-ideas about how to meet that target in so short a time."

Having a constructive method to move toward your goal is critical, as is keeping a positive attitude. Whitehead suggests constantly telling yourself you will reach your goal. "If you tell yourself you will fail, your subconscious will believe that, too," she says.

The ultimate key to success? Perseverance. "Give up and you will fail," she explains. "Persevere and you will succeed."