One month down, 11 to go; how is 2010 going so far?

So how are you doing?

With your New Year's resolutions, that is.

It's Feb. 1 and 2010 is already one-twelfth gone, are you one-twelfth of the way toward your goals?

A Gazette online poll showed 38 percent of respondents wanted to lose weight, 27 percent wanted to exercise more, 1 percent wanted to stop drinking, 5 percent to stop smoking and 28 percent had other goals in mind.

The wikiHow.com Web site listed some good ideas for getting off dead center when it comes to making progress in your personal life.

The first is think of a goal and then writing down a list of reasons you have been able to achieve it.

The exercise sounds like those advertisements for a private college; "I can't get a good job because I don't have an education. I can't get an education because I don't have any money. I don't have any money because I don't have a good job" ... and on and on.

But the next step is turning that list of excuses into a "to do" list for yourself.

Try it.

For example, I can't exercise because I don't have time.

Oh, really?

Do you have time to watch your favorite television show?

How about working exercise into your everyday activities. If you allowed a little extra time could you walk or bicycle to work? Yes, we've had a cold winter, but we've had a surprising number of days when a brisk walk would have been a real spirit-lifter, and there's nothing like bundling up on a cold day.

The same goes for healthy eating, achieving financial goals and almost any other task we hope to accomplish.

The next step is to prioritize your list and get to work.

Look at problems as opportunities to make lifestyle changes that will benefit you over the long term.

Yes, we've already used up the first month of the year, but 11 more are on their way. Take a few minutes to re-examine those New Year's resolutions, if you made them, or make some new ones if you didn't.

With a little effort, Feb. 2 won't have to be just Groundhog Day all over again.