Get Real with Resolutions

By Anita Hamilton

Want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, patent an invention or lose 10 lbs.? Setting goals is easy, especially around this time of year. It's making them happen that is the hard part. That's where myGoals.com comes in. The site offers detailed plans for achieving 70 goals in areas ranging from health and hobbies to career and home improvement. You can track your progress by checking off specific tasks and milestones as you go. The site even sends e-mail reminders to help keep you on schedule. The tips can be surprisingly helpful and creative. For weight loss, the site suggests everything from the obvious (eat fewer calories than you burn) to the offbeat (consult a hypnotherapist). If you want to become a vegetarian, myGoals.com includes links to veggie websites and support groups. The site falls short, however, in its awkward, blank templates that users are supposed to fill out to achieve goals not already mapped by the site. And while the e-mail reminders are handy, it's a little too easy to cheat by clicking the "goal accomplished" button as you down another ice-cream sundae. --By Anita Hamilton