Top 10 New Year's Resolutions

In any race toward the finish line of achievement, it is important to understand where the bumps in the road might be. Before we get into the top 10 resolutions, let's take a look at why people typically fail to keep their New Year's resolutions:

• Writing too many resolutions. It's natural to see the beginning of a new year as a chance to fix all the problems in your life. It's also dangerous to think this way. If you expect too much of yourself, chances are that you're going to end up failing to keep any of your resolutions, let alone all of them. Work in small doses -- one or two resolutions per year.


• Choosing resolutions you're not actually ready to make. How many times have you made the determination to lose those extra 15 pounds this year, only to give up within a few weeks? How many times have you told yourself that you're going to spend more time doing cultural things like seeing plays, only to discover, come December 31, that you're the same uncultured homebody that you were last year? Don't make a resolution unless you're really determined to make that change in your life, or you'll end up letting yourself down faster than you think possible.


• Keeping your resolutions to yourself. If you don't tell anyone, then no one will call you on it if you fail. Tell your friends and family what your resolutions are. Blog about it. Make it known that you want support in achieving your goals for the new year. You're much less likely to fail with others rooting for you.

Do everything you can to avoid these pitfalls, and you'll be on a sure path to keeping your resolutions for the entirety of the next year!

There is an epidemic of obesity in America and in England, and it's not difficult to see why. It's become all too easy with today's modern lifestyle to hardly lift a finger as you move through your daily tasks. Cars, trains, planes, and buses take you where you want to go without you needing to walk more than a few feet at a time. Elevators and escalators negate the need to climb stairs. Ride-along lawn mowers remove the necessity of even walking around your property to get the grass cut. It's no wonder people are overweight when they barely have to move a muscle on any given day of the week.

Therefore, it is more important today than it ever has been throughout mankind's history to make a conscious effort to use those little-utilized muscles, to force ourselves to move our bodies so that we burn off the food that we otherwise wouldn't burn. Studies show that those who eat healthily and exercise regularly live, on average, years longer than those who don't. There is no better New Year's resolution than the resolution to do what you must to ensure that you will be around to see more New Years than you otherwise would!

Here are some suggestions on how to get started with this resolution:

• Join a gym. Unlimited-access gym memberships go for approximately $30 per month. If you can afford such a membership, a gym is the best way to allow yourself access to all the best machines that are specifically designed to give you the best results for your workout.


• Design a workout routine. If you can't afford a gym, it doesn't matter: There's plenty you can do without having to pay a cent. For instance, you can resolve to rise a half-hour earlier in the mornings and take a brisk walk, or to split your hour-long lunch break in half and spend one half jogging around your office building. If you design a routine that you work into your everyday life, you will be more likely to stick to it.


• Buy a pedometer. Don't have the money for a gym membership or the time/schedule for a regular routine? Buy a pedometer and resolve to walk a certain number of steps per day, no matter what! Carrying a pedometer on your person that monitors your movement all day long will encourage you to get up and move more often than you otherwise would. Pedometers can be as cheap as $7 or $8, but truly decent ones (ones that you can keep in your purse or pocket and still have your steps tracked) go for closer to $20 or $30... and they're truly worth the extra one-time investment.


• A little movement is better than none at all. As a full-time college student who also works 40 hours a week, I know what it's like to have a schedule so tightly packed that adding a regular routine or going to the gym seems an impossible feat. But can you honestly say that you can't take ten minutes before breakfast to do some jumping jacks? That you don't have time to take the stairs instead of the elevator? That it would kill you to park your car on the opposite side of the parking lot to get in a little extra walking? Don't make excuses like these. Instead, find reasons to spend a few extra minutes or even seconds moving your body. It all adds up, faster than you might think!

If you've fallen victim to the pleasures of smoking or drinking, you know that they're just about the hardest habits to break. Nicotine quickly becomes a raging need of the body's, and alcoholism runs rampant throughout our society on a genetic, not necessarily personal, level. However, even the most far-gone individual can recognize that without these vices, their lifespan would increase exponentially.

The decision to quit smoking or drinking -- let alone the implementation of such a decision -- is not an easy one. The results, though, are worth the battle. Aside from adding years to your life, you can look forward to the benefits listed below.

For those who quit smoking:

• At the five-year mark:
  • Stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
• At the At 10-year mark:
  • Risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers.
  • Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases.
  • Risk of ulcers decreases.
• At the 15-year mark:
  • Risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked.
  • Risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked.

For those who quit drinking:

• Decreases your risk of developing diseases such as cirrhosis, damage to the pancreas, heart problems, certain cancers, sexual problems, and other conditions.
• Increases ability to easily lose weight.
• Heralds a return of appetite.
Heralds a return of muscle tone and general muscle health.
• Increases energy and betters ability to get a full night's rest.

There's nothing in this world that can replace the bonds between you and your family or friends. No one supports you like they do; no one boosts your confidence like they can; and no one else knows your deepest, darkest secrets and still loves you anyway.

You owe it to both yourself and to your family/friends to spend more time with them. Doing so will strengthen those oh-so-important relationships, and it will give you some much-needed relaxation time in the company of those you care about and trust the most.

Here are some ideas for things to do with your family and/or friends:

• Go on a picnic.
• Take a hike.
• Go on a road trip.
• Get everyone together for a big dinner at your favorite restaurant.
• Go window-shopping.
• See a play or musical.
• Get makeovers.
• Make a scrapbook.
• Play a board game.

There are few things more stressful than monthly credit card bills... especially when you're swimming in debt. There is so much you could do with the money you're paying in interest on those cards, let alone the actual fees themselves. Roughly one in four people in the US owe more than they own, so you are by no means alone.

There are several steps you should take toward getting rid of debt and beginning to save the money that you are now sending to creditors:

1. Create a budget. You have to start off knowing where each penny is going. Figure out where you can cut corners with household expenses: maybe buy the store brand cereal instead of the name brand, or use electric blankets instead of the thermostat in the winter. This will help you gain some wiggle room to start paying off your debts more quickly.


2. Prioritize your bills. Decide the order in which things need to be paid off, paying close attention to those bills that carry higher interest rates. Speak with an accountant to determine if any of the interest you pay is tax-deductible.


3. Minimize your credit card usage. Don't cut up your cards, because any open line of credit contributes positively to your credit score, even if it's unused. However, you should put away as many of them as possible in a locked drawer or filing cabinet somewhere so that you aren't tempted to use them when you're out and about.


4. Consolidate your debt. If all else fails, consolidate your debt into a single monthly payment. If nothing else, this will at the very least give you peace of mind.

Organization is key to having smooth, stress-free days. If your life is disorganized, so is your mind; and a mind in a jumble can't get nearly as much done. If you don't keep the bills in one specific place, then you're causing yourself undue stress when you frantically search for them later. If you don't ensure that your house is clean, then that uncleanliness will constantly nag at your unconscious mind.

For those who rely on routine, keeping all aspects of life neatly in order is absolutely essential. Here are some steps to take to ensure the restoration of order and organization.

1. Pick everything up from your home/workspace and clean. Don't worry about organizing everything into piles just yet. First, just make sure that everything is freshly washed or dusted.


2. Put away everything that already has a logical place while collecting everything else into one central location. Put clothes in the closet, pencils in the desk drawer, dishes in the cabinet, et cetera. Put everything else -- loose papers, photos, folders, random nick-knacks -- on, say, the dining room table to be gone through later.


3. Clear a chunk of time to organized the unorganized. It will help if you aren't interrupted during this period.


4. Put things in like piles. Put the bills with the bills, the photos with the photos, and so on.


5. Sort items in an order that makes sense to you. If you want to sort your bills by order of descending date, then do so. Choose an order that will make these things easiest for you to find later, should you need them.


6. Determine what sort of filing system you will use and put the items away. Purchase a file cabinet or a sturdy folder system.

There's not a whole lot to explain about this particular resolution. You've been doing your job for x number of years now, and you know how it's supposed to be done. You also probably know the ways in which you've been slacking a bit, or could be doing better. All you need to do now is take action on those things!

For those who honestly don't think there's anything to improve, I say to you: "Hooey!" Here are some suggestions for those few shining examples:

• Professionals: If you honestly don't know what you can improve, ask your manager to be frank with you. Even if your performance is sparklingly perfect, there is always something that your manager will be able to come up with for you to do or improve on, be it to take on a new project or to reorganize some aspect of the business that hadn't been touched previously.


• Moms: Get creative! Do some things for your kids that most moms don't do. Write little notes to your children and hide them in their lunch bags. Make trips to the park to play or Sunday morning drives a regular occurrance. Write stories with them, where you each take turns writing two paragraphs each.


• Students: Even if you're a straigh-A student, there will always be more that you could be doing. Study just a little longer to really cinch those grades. Volunteer as a tutor to share your knowledge. Write a blog to give other students pointers and steer them toward success.

The brain that is constantly challenged will never get bored! There is so much in this world to learn. While no one person can know everything, that doesn't mean that that's a reason to throw up your hands and give up on learning altogether! It's always fun to gain new knowledge, and it's even more fun to be an expert in a subject, once you've read and/or experienced enough about it.

Think of a topic that has always interested you, and delve right in without reserve. Let's say that you always wanted to learn about medieval Europe. Here are some things you could do to start learning about medieval Europe:

• Check out some books on that time period from your local library. Feel free to specialize: if you want to learn about the Tudor dynasty, for instance, go right ahead and focus on those leaders.


• Watch the History channel; they often air shows relating to this subject.


• Visit a museum that boasts a medieval European exhibit. (If you're lucky enough to be near New York City, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has just such an exhibit -- and an excellent one, at that.)


• Visit Europe and tour the ancient buildings.

Of course, you'll want to tailor your learning to the topic of your choice. It shouldn't be difficult to think of ways in which you can learn about your new subject!

Travel is a wonderful way to open your mind and learn about other cultures, times, and, of course, places. We live in a large world, and while no one person can ever see all of it, there are many fascinating places that you really ought to see before you reach an age at which you are unable to.

The single most often-claimed excuse for why someone hasn't traveled is that they simply cannot justify the expense. However, this, in my book, is not a good excuse at all, and here are some reasons why:

• If you funnel just $100 a month into a savings account, you will be able to afford a very nice vacation within a year. If you do this consistently, it amounts to a trip every year, or a lavish vacation once every three or four years.


• There are many places to visit right around you, wherever you are in the country, that you have probably never been. Look around you for road trips that can be taken during a weekend. You can stay at a cheap motel and still get to see something that you haven't seen before.


• Frequent flyer miles on credit cards are often saved and never used, "just in case." What if you never use those miles? What a sad waste! Do away with this "just in case" mentality and adopt a "carpe diem" mentality instead!

Resolutions are typically rather selfish things: what you can you do improve your own life? Well, we live on this planet with 6+ billion other people, many of whom don't have the means to improve their own lives as we do. We should all consider it part of our duty to help others as we ourselves would want to be helped.

There are plenty of things you can do right in your own hometown to help brighten the lives around you.

• Clean up a local park.
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
• Donate clothing or food to the homeless.
• Volunteer at a women's shelter.
• "Foster" a soldier for a holiday meal, as he cannot be with his own family.
• Start a book drive for underprivileged schools.
• Hold a bake-off in your neighborhood, and donate the earnings to the charity of your choice.
• Make a donation in someone else's name as a gift to them.

These are just a few ideas. There is always more to do; open your mind and your heart and reach out in the best way you know how to.

What would you change about yourself? Do you dislike how much you gossip? Do you wish you'd been more accepting? Whatever it is, there is never a better time that the new year to begin remaking yourself into someone you more earnestly respect.

Personal change does not come overnight, nor are necessary changes easy to spot. Take some time to ask yourself a few questions:

• "If I were someone else, would I want to be my friend?"
• "When I see videos of myself, do certain things I say or do make me cringe?"
• "Have others mentioned something about me that they would like me to change?"

Once you've decided what it is you want to change about yourself, consider starting a diary or journal. Write in it a few times a week. The entries don't have to be particularly fascinating, but they should be a candid recounting of your day.

After a year, read through the journal, from start to finish, and spend some time in reflection. Have you changed? If so, have you changed in the ways you wanted to?