According to a Journal of Clinical Psychology study, 45 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, but less than 20 percent keep them.

Meet a retired Winthrop teacher and a Boston fitness trainer who buck the trend. Both say setting attainable goals allowed them to reach personal victories — something experts say is ignored when making resolutions.

“If it’s beyond the scope of something they can achieve, they’re going to give up,” said Jason Skolnick, a Boston financial adviser and founder of 1Purpose, an organization that helps people meet their personal goals all year.

“By setting a specific, measurable and achievable goal ... you’re more likely to accomplish what you’ve set out to do,” he said. “It shouldn’t be, ‘I’m going to run a little more.’ It’s got to be, ‘I’m going to run three miles a day, twice a week.’ ”

If the goal is to lose 10 pounds by the end of February, says Skolnick, you should target a loss of just more than 1 pound a week.

“You build confidence by meeting shorter-term goals,” he said.

Mary Ann Ulrich, 64, of Winthrop

Years of inconsistent gym attendance yielded lackluster results when it came to weight loss. “I was losing a few pounds here and there, but nothing consistent,” said the retired teacher of English.

But shortly before New Year’s Day 2011, Ulrich set a new goal: losing 100 pounds before she turned 65. “All your life you think about work, and you don’t think about other things like travel and enjoying life. That became more important as I retired,” she said. “I look at this as my new job.”

Ulrich launched her weight loss journey by hiring a personal trainer, Lexi Fournier at the East Boston YMCA. Ulrich changed her diet and now exercises six days a week, combining cardiovascular and strength training with yoga classes.

“The personal trainer focuses you on setting reasonable goals. That was really important,” she said. “You always hit those frustration points and there’s a trainer there to help you get over those, rather than giving up.”

One year later, Ulrich has lost 80 pounds — on pace to realize her fitness target.

“It’s like a miracle. I can’t believe how happy and strong I feel,” she said.

Mark Samara, 29, of Holden

With nearly two years of fitness modeling competitions under his weight belt, Mark Samara decided last New Year’s he would set out to conquer yet another personal fitness goal — to compete in a national body-building competition, the Musclemania Fitness America Weekend in Las Vegas in November. Even for Samara — a personal trainer at Boston Sports Club in Copley Square — it wasn’t easy. He had to hire his own fitness coach.

“It’s time-consuming and physically tasking,” he said. “It’s definitely a challenge.”