I am a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions. In fact, one of my major tasks this weekend will be making my list.

To me, resolution-setting isn’t about promising to do things I know I won’t do.  It’s more like strategic planning for the soul.  By making something a resolution, I commit to putting my most valuable resources (time, energy, effort, money) into making it happen.

I don’t let myself off with vague resolutions like, "I will be more patient" or "I will lose weight" or "I will manage money better."  I sit down and spend some quiet time thinking about where I want to be next year, what sort of person I want to become.  Then, I decide on some concrete steps that will help me get there.  You MUST write these down.  You will never hold yourself accountable if you don’t write them down.

Let me give some examples:

• If I want to be healthier (or lose weight), my resolutions might be to go to my yoga mat for at least 30 minutes a week, even if I spend all 30 minutes in child’s pose because I’m too tired to do anything else.  I might also decide to eat a piece of fresh fruit once a day or have a proper breakfast three times a week (incidentally, leftover birthday cake does not, in fact, constitute a proper breakfast) or take a 15 minute walk every day or use the stairs instead of the elevator at work.
• If I want to manage my money better, I may resolve to develop a written budget by the end of January, to sign up for an automatic savings program before June, to carry lunch three days a week, to pay off one credit card (without transferring the balance) by year’s end.
• If I want more and better time with my family and friends, I may resolve to go gadget free (no cell phone, iPod, computer, Blackberry, etc.) one evening a week.  Or I could resolve to schedule at least 3 meetings (for lunch, coffee, a long walk, whatever) with a friend I haven’t seen in a while.  A parent could resolve to spend one afternoon each quarter with each child, letting that child have ALL the attention for once.

Once you have laid out your goals (I divide mine into personal, professional, and financial), decide on some timelines and put them on your calendar.  In addition, make a note at least every other month to reread your resolutions so you can make sure that you stay on track.

You don’t need to share your resolutions with anyone, though you may wish to do so.  I will share some of my resolutions with you all in the weeks ahead.

Do I accomplish all the goals I set for myself every year?  Of course not.  But I do accomplish some.  In fact, starting this blog was a resolution for 2007.  Because it was important enough to make my list, it is worth the time and money needed.  And because I set these goals AND hold myself accountable to them, I believe that I will wake up on January 1, 2008, a little closer to being the person I want to be than I was on January 1, 2007, and that’s all I can ask for.