What's on your healthy to-do list? If it's the same thing that was there last week, and the week before, and the week before that . . . well, you might not need a personal chef, personal shopper, or personal trainer. And you might not need to delve into the deep psychology about what's holding you back when it comes to deciding to lose weight, quit smoking, or amp up your workouts.

Instead, a new program of "hope therapy" may help. Hope therapy teaches you how to set a smart goal, devise strategies for working toward it, and learn to believe in your ability to achieve it. These steps make you more hopeful, which, in turn, helps you achieve what you're dreaming of. When people did eight sessions of this type of therapy, they also ended up having less anxiety and had better self-esteem.

So what's a smart goal? It needs to fit every letter of the acronym:

Specific: Not "lose weight," but "lose a pound a week for the next 6 weeks."
Measurable: As in "walk for 30 minutes every day," not just "walk more."
Attainable: Losing 20 pounds in 1 week? Uh, try again.
Relevant: The results need to be rewarding to you.
Time-based: Saying, "I want to quit smoking" lets you off the hook for quitting today.

But if you want to quit smoking before your ski trip in December, you have to get started today. Then, figure out exactly how you'll make it happen. And give yourself credit for the little steps; that's what gets you there.