Home » Culture & Society » Philosophy » Western Philosophy

Choosing Great New Year's Resolutions

Ranked #10,309 in Culture & Society, #206,110 overall

Make Next Year Memorable

Choose Exciting, Challenging, Achievable New Year Resolutions, make next year Memorable! Get your year off to a great start with the suitable New Year's Resolutions. Like many I formerly made resolutions at the last minute, if at all, and had probably forgotten them by the end of January. But shouldn't we head into the New Year with a plan rather than be like ships without a rudder? Learn how to choose realistic New Year's resolutions and how to stick to them. There any many different categories of resolutions career, health, romance, adventure, or it could be to visit every US State or every McDonald's in Alaska!
What do you want to achieve next year! how will you make next year really memorable

Set your New Year Resolutions 2012 here

Why Should You Make New Year's Resolutions?

Do you have a Life Plan?

If you cannot think of even one resolution on New Year's Eve it probably means you are going into the next year with no plan at all. Isn't that a bit frightening to think you are leaving everything to chance?

What are SMART Resolutions?

No point in having unrealistic resolutions

Smart Goals or ResolutionsYou can measure the effectiveness of your resolutions by using SMART

Specific : Are they clear enough
Measurable : Can you measure them
Attainable : are they possible
Realistic : Are they realistic
Timely : Can they be achieved in the timespan

Resolution Categories

Try and pick a variety of resolutions

I think positive resolutions are better or easier than negative resolutions e.g. quitting something.
  • A Relationship Resolution
    To enter a relationship if you have none. To improve an existing relationship, to devote more time to your couple.
  • Learn Something New
    E.g. A foreign language
  • Give Something Up
    Smoking or Drinking
  • Get Your Finances Under Control
    You need a real plan here
  • Get Organized
  • Health Resolution
    Diet,exercise,sport
  • Challenge
    E.g. Walk The Appalachian Trail
  • Contribution
    Join a voluntary organization, raise money for a charity.What will you contribute next year?
  • Career
    What must you achieve next

Making Resolutions and Goal Setting

Loading

How To Keep Resolutions

Choose Good Ones In The First Place!

It is easier to keep your resolution's if you've carefully thought our your resolutions and decided upon ones that are important to you.

  • Write down your resolutions.
  • Set dates and review point dates
  • Review your progress, plan what steps you need to take.
  • Tell as many people as possible about your goals (social pressure).
  • Give priority to your resolutions

The History or Origins of New Year's Resolutions

The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. when Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.

With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.

Others claim that the Babylonians were first with their top resolution being to return borrowed farm equipment!

Planning or Choosing Your New Year's Resolutions


  • Plan early, as early as possible, months early
  • Write down what type of Resolutions you wish to achieve
  • Write them down

My Resolutions for 2010

This was the list of my resolutions for 2010 which I have now changed into a report on my success or failure
  1. Do Paperwork Immediately
    Deal with paperwork and correspondence immediately; don't let it pile up!
    REPORT Hard to say
  2. Attend a First Class Cricket Match
    May be not all three days, but spend a lazy sunny day watching Cricket
    REPORT Yes watched Hampshire play at the Rosebowl but disappointed by the modern concrete stadium.
  3. Turn Round Jobs Quicker
    Just generally be more focused on the important bread-and-butter jobs
  4. Speak Spanish
    I've been book learning Spanish for two years, time to speak it!
    REPORT My several drive to learn Spanish faltered this year even though I went to Barcelona for a few days
  5. Swim The Crawl Effortlessly
    Been working on this for a few years.
    REPORT Yes getting better but not effortless yet
  6. Really Understand SEO!
    Search Engine Optimisation.
    REPORT Definite Progress
  7. Work Smarter Not Harder
    REPORT Always working on this
  8. Earn Half My Income from the Internet
    REPORT Best year yet but probably about 10%
  9. Become More Assertive
    Politely say what I think if people move into my space.
    REPORT Yes finally learning it is making sure you query someone else's behavior instead of letting it go

Funny Resolutions

Anti New Years Resolutions

For those who hate Resolutions.

Joke: What does a caterpillar do on New Year's Day?
Answer: Turns over a new leaf!
  1. Try to Procrastinate More
  2. Watch More TV in 2010
  3. Join a Gym But Never Go!
  4. Learn from Dilbert
  5. Think of More Excuses to Call a Sickie
  6. Work Smarter Not Harder (Hey that's good advice!)
  7. Forget my Wedding Anniversary Again
  8. Instead of Dieting get Bigger Clothes
  9. Must remember to Be More Absent Minded Next Year

Ten Most Popular Resolutions

According to Surveys

My criticism of these is that they are rather dull which makes them rather difficult to fulfill. In fact unless you establish a plan they are liable to fail. I prefer real challenges or positive resolutions or rather specific resolutions.
  1. Lose Weight and or Get in Better Physical Shape
    Ok So what's your plan? Lose 2lbs by the end of February, go to the Gym twice a week
  2. Budget, Manage Spending
    Ok create a Spreadsheet with earnings,spendings, savings
  3. Get Out of Debt
    OK get a second job, have a stay at home vacation, what are you going to cut out?
  4. Spend More Time Your Family
    OK which evenings, what are you going to cut out?
  5. Romance
    Join an evening class best place to meet other singles
  6. Quit Smoking
    OK are you going to attend stop-smoking classes
  7. Career: Find a Better Job
    OK, you need to update your CV, plan a campaign to select which companies you will target or do you need to learn a new skill.
  8. Become More Organized
    OK you no longer just make resolutions; YOU ACT ON THEM!
  9. Volunteer/Contribute More
    OK which charity, church, youth organization?

My Previous New Years Resolutions

As I said I've only taken them seriously in the past few years.
  • Visited Hadrian's Wall
    Two day Charity Walk in 2009
  • Learned to read Spanish
    Started Spanish from scratch in 2007 have now read a few children's books in Spanish and one Agatha Christie
  • Learn the Crawl
    Started by improving my breaststroke now working on my crawl
  • Make some kind of Internet Sale Everyday
    Achieved this in October 2009

New Years Resolutions for 2012

  1. Become fitter by running
    Swimming and cycling haven't been enough for me recently, I want to get fitter so as to work better and more enthusiastically and to lose weight. Running or jogging is a simple to organize activity , you get to heavy breathing and blood pumping quickly. Also brings mental benefits as you feel better about yourself.

Click here if you Like New Year's Resolutions

This module only appears with actual data when viewed on a live lens. The favorite and lensroll options will appear on a live lens if the viewer is a member of Squidoo and logged in.

Add this to your lens »

Reader Feedback; What Are Your Resolutions

What resolutions have you made, which past resolutions worked out or didn't work out.

New Year is actually a bad time for choosing resolutions because you've hardly got over the panic of organizing Xmas, that's one of the reasons why people don't set good New Year Resolutions.

If I've made you think about taking Resolutions more seriously then I'm happy. When we get to that maudlin moment just before or after New Year's Eve each year we shouldn't have REGRETS we should be saying YEP I did it, I did a Bungee Jump, I changed my job, here's my new partner, those are the kids I raised money for. NO REGRETS.

submit
Show All

More Lens by THESUCCESS

Loading

by

thesuccess

Why not Measure your Squidoo Progress Here find out what your Squidoo Goals are!

Find out if you are a Ripple Maker or a Scanner or do you want to more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

Explore related pages

Related Tags