Every New Year, millions of people pledge to adhere to their resolutions like never before. However, as January becomes February, this year is proving to be just like all the others for many, as they skip the gym or find themselves buying another pack of cigarettes. An estimated forty percent of Americans make New Year's resolutions, but nearly half of them admit to fully giving up by the end of the month.

So -- one month in -- how can everyday people stick to their list of resolutions? And what is the reason most seem to fail?

Boston author, facilitator, and behavioral expert Beverly Flaxington has answers. Her latest book -- "MAKE YOUR SHIFT: The Five Most Powerful Moves You Can Make to Get Where You Want to Go" (shiftmodel.com) -- aims to help people take real, effective steps to achieve their goals and re-invent themselves.

"Instead of helping you understand how you can create positive changes in your life," Beverly offers, "most resolution advice glosses over the importance of *you* altogether, and doesn't address what holds most of us back -- our own nature."

Ask Beverly:

What is the primary reason New Year's resolutions fail

How people can re-start their goals once they've failed

How people can be realistic when setting their goals

What is missing from most people's goal-achievement models

Will Bower at will@allenmediastrategies.com

• Beverly D. Flaxington is an accomplished consultant, personal and career coach, author, college professor, corporate trainer, facilitator, behavioral expert, and business development expert, she has most recently appeared in or on "Eye on New York" on WCBS TV, U.S. News & World Report, ABCNews.com, MSN, "The Balancing Act" on Lifetime Television, Voice of America, NECN: New England Cable News, KNX 1070 Newsradio CBS Los Angeles, IRN/USA News, "The Shaun Proulx Show" on OUTtv, WJR Detroit, "The Jordan Rich Show" on WBZ Boston, "Talk of Chicago" with Kendall Moore, the CKNW Morning News Vancouver, Entrepreneur, The Christian Science Monitor, and several others.