Eat less. Exercise more.  Get out of debt. Sound familiar? Those are the traditional New Year’s resolutions we all know and love to hate.  Research shows that on average about 40 percent of Americans plan to make resolutions on Jan. 1, but only a fraction  [8-10%] actually keep their resolutions.  We have all been guilty of making bucket lists every 365 days in effort to wipe the slate clean and start the New Year off fresh.

Many people use the New Year as an opportunity to set goals, whether personal or professional.  The New Year is a great time to take a look at the changes we would like to make and put a plan of action together to do just that.

The idea of a New Year’s resolution is nice, but often they are not realistic and therefore are not achieved.  This doesn’t mean they are a waste of time, but perhaps the goals just need a little tweaking.  As with any goal, the first step is to figure out what you want to achieve, develop a clear plan of action, and celebrate your success along the way.

I have come to the conclusion that the best resolution is no resolution at all.  I just simply take it one day at a time and adjust things along the way as needed.   I certainly have room for improvement; it just might take me a bit longer than 12 months to make it happen.  After all, it’s about making changes that are most important to you, not just what looks good on the to-do list for the New Year.   Whatever resolution you set or don’t set for the coming year, if you’re realistic and stick to it – you are sure to be successful.  As for me, I look forward to another memorable year with Advocate readers and advertising partners.  See you all in the New Year.