Should We Even Make New Year's Resolutions?

As we get closer to the end of the year, it's inevitable that the majority of us will begin to start making resolutions. What we'll do in the upcoming year, who we'll erase from our lives and exactly when we'll do it are all on the menu. But, should we really allow a new year to force us to make changes that we most likely won't stick to? According to the website proactivechange.com, their statistics on new year's resolutions show that only 46% of us will keep those promises for longer than 6 months. The rest of us? Well, we'll begin to stop working out at that pricey fitness club, which will cause us to waste goo-gobs of money only to make us fall short of our next resolution which was most likely to save money and invest wisely. This news is discouraging, especially when we're all geared up and looking forward to starting anew. Some reports show that if we are more willing to pull together a plan of action as opposed just swearing off that negative friend, you will have more success keeping your resolutions. Here are four ways to take charge of your new wish list:

1. Develop a plan of action: Put together a spreadsheet of what goals you want to achieve, how you plan on achieving them and who will help you get to those goals. Each week, take a look at that sheet and update it based on the progress (or lack of) that you've made. If your goal is to go back to school, it's going to be really hard to do that if you don't fill out the school's application. So, get busy putting that spreadsheet together and take ten minutes each week to update it.
2. Surround yourself with people who have achieved success in the same field: Let's say you're planning on winning the New York marathon next year. Your conditioning plan is key. Even if you know a little something about running, you may want to reach out to some successful marathon runners to find out what they do to prepare themselves for various races. If you do win the New York marathon, don't forget to call your good old, long lost cousin you never met (me) and break me off a few dollars. Putting yourself in good company also helps you gain great support for your new adventure.
3. Be realistic and pick your resolutions before you have that glass of champagne: If you want to win American Idol next year and you've never sang a good-sounding note in your life, scratch that resolution off your wish list. You're just doing yourself and injustice by creating resolutions that aren't realistic. However, if you've spent too much money in the past twelve months and you'd like to save more, take a look at the areas in your budget in which you can cut back. Making fewer trips to Starbucks for example may be a good place to start!
4. Don't quit: Easier said than done, right? Well, if you're truly serious about your list of resolutions, then you need to be prepared to stick to it even when times get rough. If you hit a roadblock or regress, it's not the end of the world. You still have the option to get back into the game. Acknowledge that you've made a mistake but keep on going until you get it right.