A University of Hertfordshire academic has created the definitive ten-point guide to keeping your New Year's resolution after an extensive study following 5,000 people trying to realise their goals.

Research shows only one in 10 of us will stick to our New Year's resolution, but psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman's guide should greatly improve your chances.

Professor Wiseman found those who failed with their resolution tended not to have a plan, which made it feel like a mountain to climb.

Some focused too much on the downside of not achieving their goal, adopted role models, fantasised about their goal or relied on will power alone.

Professor Wiseman said: "Many of these ideas are frequently recommended by self-help experts but our results suggest that they simply don't work.

"If you are trying to lose weight, it's not enough to stick a picture of a model on your fridge or fantasise about being slimmer."

He said the ten per cent of participants in the study who had achieved their target broke their resolution into smaller goals and felt a sense of achievement when they achieved these.

He continued: "Many of the most successful techniques involve making a plan and helping yourself stick to it."

Specifically, we're more likely to succeed if we break our resolution into smaller goals that are specific, measurable and time-based.

Top 10 goal-setting tips

1. Make only one resolution. Your chances of success are greater when you channel energy into changing just one aspect of your behaviour.
2. Don’t wait until New Year’s Eve to think about your resolution and instead take some time out a few days before and reflect upon what you really want to achieve.
3. Avoid previous resolutions. Deciding to revisit a past resolution sets you up for frustration and disappointment.
4. Don’t run with the crowd and go with the usual resolutions. Instead think about what you really want out of life.
5. Break your goal into a series of steps, focusing on creating sub-goals that are concrete, measurable and time-based.
6. Tell your friends and family about your goals. You're more likely to get support and want to avoid failure.
7. Regularly remind yourself of the benefits associated with achieving your goals by creating a checklist of how life would be better once you obtain your aim.
8. Give yourself a small reward whenever you achieve a sub-goal, thus maintaining motivation and a sense of progress.
9. Make your plans and progress concrete by keeping a handwritten journal, completing a computer spreadsheet or covering a notice board with graphs or pictures.
10. Expect to revert to your old habits from time to time. Treat any failure as a temporary setback rather than a reason to give up altogether.