I know what you’re thinking: another cheesy, goody-two-shoes article on how I can keep all those goals I’ve set going into 2013. If you abhor such articles (like 10 ways to de-clutter your bathroom), then keep on reading. I’m like you — normal.

1. Bribe yourself.

A so-called parenting expert that I read last week claimed that bribing your kid to get him to do something was an example of irresponsible and ineffective parenting. I suspect that the same man sits in his quiet and tidy little office cranking out advice like that while either his wife or nanny is home changing diapers and doling out time-outs. Let’s face it, bribing feels like one of the most effective tools to get anyone — your kid, your stubborn mother, your golden retriever, or yourself — to do something.

My running coach used this brilliant method to train me to run 18 miles. Before our run, he hid Jolly Ranchers along our route, every two miles, so he’d say to me when I wanted to stop, “In another half-mile, you get a treat! Come, you can do it!” And like a rat spotting a half-eaten hotdog, I’d run to the candy.

You want to make sure you stick to your resolution? Bribe yourself along the road there: at the one-forth mark, one-half mark, and three-quarters mark.

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