33 Ultimate resources to pick the perfect New Year’s Resolution (and to stick to it afterwards)

Zsolt Balla — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:18:02 +0000

Yes, it’s that time of the year again. You may or may not like New Year’s resolutions, but since New Year’s Eve is literally around the corner, it is worth to give change a thought. Especially, since, we’re closing a year so full of changes. To make the process of picking your perfect New Year’s resolution, and more importantly, to help you stick to it, I have put together a vast list of brilliant resources on the subject. Forget the financial crisis: 2009 is just gonna be great! So, without further ado, here comes everything you’ve always wanted to know about New Year’s resolutions, but never dared to ask.

My personal favorites

Start the new year by pressing the reset button on your life. Zen Habits’ Jonathan Mead covers all areas of your life that you are likely to change in the upcoming year.
Illuminated Mind’s Jonathan provides you with an interesting approach of following your New Year’s resolution by thinking small, acting big (but still thinking big). I love his twisted arguments.
The Unclutterer has run through the checklist of last year’s New Year’s resolutions, and is mostly pleased with the result. The comments are also an abundant source of inspiration, when it comes to creative and unique New Year’s resolutions.
Dan Schawbel over at Personal Branding Blog asks you three crucial questions as we enter 2009.
Finally, The Power of Less offers a New Year’s challenge to Create one new habit in 30 days, using just 10 minutes a day.

General New Year’s Resolution tips, advice and more

Lifehacker’s 14 tips for resolutions don’t focus on picking your New Year’s Resolution, but on how to keep them in the new year, once the enthusiasm dries up. It’s quite obvious, that this latter is always the more difficult part, isn’t it?
MyGoals’ Tips for Making Good New Year’s Resolutions does virtually the same, but with a slightly different approach.
USA.gov’s Toplist of New Year’s Resolutions paints a real picture of US citizens. Losing Weight, managing debt and saving some money are the top three, in case you haven’t guessed it yet.
A similar top list of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions can be found at About.com. Interestingly, according to its author, Albert Powell, spending more time with family and friends is leading the list. Wishful thinking, I assume.
Yet another About.com list, written this time by Amber J. Tresca focuses on keeping your carefully picked resolutions. Scroll way down, to find my favorite advice: Keep trying! Surely, a pinch of self-irony and humor comes in handy.
Goalsguy’s New Year’s Resolution top list is interesting because of its #8: Volunteer and Help Others. Agreed, approved.
RIS Media also has a top list of New Year’s Resolutions (from 2007, but most of them, quite timeless, really). Again, the favorite is #8: work less, play more!
Daily Blog Tips’ Daniel Scocco decided to share his own list of internet goals instead of putting together yet another general top list. He also runs the checklist of his last year’s resolutions (succeeded 7 out of 10, congrats!). His ambitious list will surely be inspiring for all bloggers and internet entrepreneurs.

Career, Money

Dawn Rosenberg McKay, About.com’s Career planning guru shares a few valuable thoughts on Setting Goals and Your New Year’s Resolutions.
If you are looking for wise, apt and short smartness, go for this 25 Words or Less Q&A on financial advices for 2009.
Scott Mandrake at Hubpages has wrote an interesting piece on planning for the new year within the current, tough economic environment.
This collection from Entrepreneur.com is a real time travel. Managers and businessmen share their New Year’s resolutions for 2007(!). It may well make you smile from the distance of two years.
Louis Gray’s personal-professional New Year’s Resolution list is a must-read for everyone who is serious about surviving online. It seems that Louis will mostly focus on various forms of networking in the upcoming year.
Martha Retallick at Freelanceswitch offers both a Professional Development Plan and a Client Acquisition Plan for 2009. Both articles are well worth reading them.
Finally, back to Dan Shawbel, who talks about 3 mandatory tasks you have to do for your personal brand in 2009. Networking, again, is a top priority.

The Psychology of New Year’s Resolutions

75 percent of people will fail with their New Year’s Resolutions, according to this article written by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. at Psychcentral.com. The article is pretty deep and scientific, so you’d rather read it before the new year’s party.
Psychology Today’s blogger Michele Weiner-Davis says that your New Year’s resolutions shouldn’t focus on yourself, but on your relationship with your significant other. “Why don’t spouses sit down together and truly think about where they want to be six months or a year from now, setting relationship-oriented goals that can make marriages richer, healthier and longer lasting?” she asks. Hmm, I guess she has a point. There has to be room for that kind of improvement, too.
The Simple Dollar has put together a list for Defining and Sticking To a Successful New Year’s Resolution. Not only financially. The piece is from 2007, but it’s still a good read.
U Turn Ahead’s 8 Tips for your New Year’s Resolutions’ success is also more than a year old, but it is very worthy of reading nevertheless. My favorite is #2: Spend some time thinking about the specific change you want to make. I agree, sometimes it is not as obvious as it may seem.
Sharon Michaels’s How To Make A New Year’s Resolution You’ll Keep is a well-written article, without any really unique content or thoughts. If you want to reassure what you’ve already read in the previous articles, then give it a go.
Michael Riley at MyCentralJersey.com argues that New Year’s eve may not be the best time to pick resolutions for the whole year. He may be right.

Lifestyle

High Plains Buddhist’s Ten New Year’s Resolutions are funny, wise and provocative. I’m not quite sure how Buddhist they are, though. But maybe this is not even important in this case, is it?
Living the Good life’s New Year’s Resolutions are, on the other hand, surely of religious motives. If “Pray more often” is a New Year’s Resolution you are about to consider, don’t miss this blogpost.

Fitness

Fitness and working out has always been a favorite among New Year’s resolutions. So why don’t you head over to Fitness.com, and have a look at their list? I promise they won’t stop at Take the stairs instead of the elevator. They’re just warming up for the rest.
Momlogic.com’s New Year’s Resolutions sound slightly more attractive for a lazy guy like me, even if improving the health factor still remains in focus.

Fun

I guess that (if you have read at least some of the articles I suggested), by now, you are really confused concerning your own New Year’s Resolutions. No worries, help is on the way! Generate your New Year’s Resolutions by a single click of your mouse at Dagblog.com.
Finally, indulge yourself with a whole lot of useless trivia on New Year’s eve and on New Year’s Resolutions. You deserve it!

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33 Ultimate resources to pick the perfect New Year’s Resolution (and to stick to it afterwards)