How to Choose 2007 New Year's Resolutions that You Can Keep

At the beginning of every year, everyone goes into "New-Year-over-drive" with resolutions to make the new year better than last year. "Top 10 New Year's Resolutions for 2007" are all over the talk shows on TV. People make resolutions to do things, be things, have things - you name it, there's a resolution for it. The word resolution is defined in the dictionary as "a firm decision to do something; determination: firmness of mind or purpose."

How many New Year's Resolutions are actually in these guidelines? A vast majority of resolutions are forgotten about, given up on, worked around or just simple "killed in action" within a month or so. People make resolutions that are so enormous they can't be obtained or just not important enough to stay committed to. If a resolution is not kept, what's the point of making it?

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for new, healthy resolutions to set or make goals in life. A new start is a good thing. Sometimes resolutions work out well. They are often achieved and are a good way to move ahead in life, change life, make a difference or just make life a little happier or easier. The purpose of a good resolution is that once it is accomplished, you see the "good" you did. It just makes you feel good about yourself and makes you want to do more. But where do you start? How do you keep a New Year's Resolution? You have to have 3 things to make a resolution work...commitment (firm decision), focus (determination) and most importantly, purpose (firmness of mind).

The first step is to make a New Year's Resolution that you have at least some ambition of keeping and achieving, while having a purpose. So many people make these huge, hard, time consuming, constantly nagging resolutions and then come March, there's no sign of that resolution either being worked or completed. Why? Because the resolution was not keepable and achievable. Or because they just didn't want to work hard enough or weren't committed enough to achieve it.

Start by being honest with yourself. There's no point in making a resolution if there is little chance you will follow through on or get bored with. Work on something you are reasonably sure you have the ambition to complete! What kind of resolution can you make that will help you in life, will do some good, improve you life or the life of someone else and make you happy and proud all the while being accessible, workable and completable? If you stayed with that long sentence, it proves you at least have commitment in your favor!

The big "secret" about New Year's Resolution's is that they don't have to be huge, outstanding, elaborate or even what you would call "life changing". It is perfectly okay to make a resolution to do something small, short or less obvious! Start from the bottom and work your way up. Starting at the top and succeeding is often just the plot in a movie.

I am not much a believer in major, life changing "resolutions". Oh, sure they can happen, but for the vast majority, it just seems better to look in your own back yard, Dorothy. I don't see how you can help others or do good things if you are a mess yourself.

First, pick an area you want to improve. Your home life, your personal being, your job, something for someone else or help for someone else, something to do with your neighborhood or city are just a few options. Then pick a place to start. Again, start at the bottom or beginning. Remember - commitment, focus and purpose. Did you know that a New Year's Resolution doesn't have to have an end to it? It can go on and on - it all depends on what you choose and how you choose to deal with it. Starting at the bottom or beginning, offers you lots and lots of options to utilize to better achieve your resolution's goal.

Here are a few suggestions to start your thoughts a-rolling to pick out your 2007 New Year's Resolutions. If you choose something with a purpose, you will find a PLUS in every resolution you commit to.

1. Look at your house, apartment, where ever you call home. It is pretty much a given, that there is always something in your living space that needs fixed, cleaned, repaired, replaced, or other attention that you have been putting off. Is your garage a wreck looking for a place to happen? Is your closet filled to over-flowing to the point you haven't a clue as to what is in the back or on the bottom? What about that extra bedroom, the hall closet, the food pantry or the attic? Make it your New Year's Resolution to clean one area a week (or a month, depending on how busy you are otherwise).

The resolution extends to keeping only half of what was in there and the other half you donate to the local Disabled Veterans Association or other donation arrangement. Once finished, you can look at what you did and know you successfully completed your New Year's Resolution and made your life a little bit better PLUS you have helped others.

2. Is there something that you have been meaning to do for someone and have just have been putting it off for one reason or another? The perfect New Year's Resolution is to help that person that has been waiting for your help! Has your Mother been asking for help in her garden? Has your friend been asking for help with a car problem? Maybe the neighbor needs help with something on their side of the fence. Pick a day, make a call and your New Year's Resolution is successfully completed and you feel good about yourself PLUS you have helped someone in need AND made someone happy!

3. Is your office/work space a mess or need some attention that you have been putting off? Claim that resolution! Fix it, change it, whatever it needs! Once done, you have completed a New Year's Resolution and you now have a better, happier, cleaner more organized place in which to work PLUS you can now be more productive which means better success at work!

4. Is there someone you have been meaning to look up or visit? Well, what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone, make a call and go complete your next New Year's Resolution, resurrect a friendship PLUS make someone's day!

5. If you have kids, have you been meaning to help at the school, help with the classroom, donate some time in one way or another? Let's see, most schools start the first week in January so all you have to do is walk your child to class, introduce yourself to the teacher and say "put me to work". I guarantee you won't be turned down! Your New Year's Resolution has been achieved, you get to enjoy watching your children grow PLUS you have helped your child and their education! Most kids are proud to say to their friends "that's my Mom/Dad helping us".

Get the point? New Year's Resolutions are not isolated to the huge, life changing, major feats of change and accomplishment category. It's nice and wonderful if they all could be, but when push comes to shove, it's the little
things in life that make life worth living. Just think...if you do these 5 suggestions, you will have achieved 5 resolutions! You have improved yourself and your life 5 different ways! And what did you accomplish?

You cleaned up some of your own problem areas, completed things that needed done, made yourself happy, productive and gave yourself a little better out look on life, giving yourself the ambition to move on in life. PLUS you made other people happy, you helped others, helped others solve some problems and put smiles on the faces and in the hearts of some people that needed it and certainly appreciated it.

That's what a New Year's Resolution is all about. Got your's ready for 2007?