Ah, New Year's Eve.  Each year, on the evening of December 31^st, we celebrate the end of one year and the start of a new one.  For some, this means one final night of scandal before we begin to observe (and ultimately break) our New Year's Resolution(s).

Until this year, I have avoided making a New Year's Resolution.  Why make a tradition out of promising ourselves that we will change the aspects of our lives that need changing? I say, if you feel you need to eat more green vegetables on April 23^rd, you should do it-do not wait until New Year's Day to start.

Of course, I am kidding. There is merit to these annual promises because we make them at a time of new beginnings.  But, the truth of the matter is, we are constantly making little New Year's Resolutions.  If I had a nickel for every time I have told myself that "Tomorrow I'll start going to the gym," I could probably buy several D.P. Dough calzones.

We can all stand to improve ourselves, our lives and the world around us, and we are all capable of it.  

So, today, in honor of the New Year and the clean slate that is upon us, I have decided to join the club and make some New Year's Resolutions. But, the thing is, I intend to keep them. So, to help you all do the same, I have assembled a guide to both making and keeping those pesky little promises.  You can thank me next year.

1. Be specific. If you tell yourself that you want to volunteer more, a one-time trip to a local soup kitchen might seem sufficient. But, if you tell yourself that you want to volunteer twice a month, you have no excuses when the 28^th rolls around. Do research and find one, or several charities that could use your time.  Make sure they help a cause that means something to you, and you will feel a sense of satisfaction from giving back. If your New Year's Resolution is vague, you are likely to abandon it quickly.

2. Be realistic. If you are a total couch potato, you are not going to start going to the gym everyday just because you told yourself you would. However, you might manage to get there weekly, and perhaps bi-weekly by March, and tri-weekly by May. Catch my drift? Set goals that you can meet and you will not let yourself down.

3. A little goes a long way. Think about those everyday things you really need to change. How often do you go to bed without washing off your makeup? How many of the assigned chapters in your psych book did you actually read? Remind yourself that making small alterations to your daily routine will be really beneficial in the long run.

4. Write them down. I just bought a journal to take to Italy this winter. The first page will feature my list of New Year's Resolutions and the ones that follow will be filled with details of my adventures abroad. I know that after my trip, I will read this journal often and I cannot avoid the first page. The back of a receipt will not do. Secure your promises in a place where you will be forced to see them. Then, you will remember to remember the things that are important to you.

5. Forgive yourself. I know I have been harsh in my criticism of peoples' tendency to break our New Year's Resolution, but really, any positive change is worth sticking to. If you break your promise, put on a sequined dress, throw back a glass of the bubbly and start again.


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