Another year...gone! Wow, when did that happen? I'm still trying to get used to 2009. However, here I am, sitting down with a pen and paper, working on my Resolutions for 2010.

First off, decide if you really want the changes you are asking of yourself. Just because you've had many people tell you that you need to become more physically fit, mentally astute, financially well off, whatever, the real question is, "Do I want this for me?" I was wandering about the Net looking at the various resolutions that are common for folks to make and I found you can break them down into four main categories:

• Physical Resolutions: (Lose weight, get physically fit, quit drinking/smoking/drug use, and eat better)
• Financial Resolutions: (Get out of debt, create a budget, get a better job, and start a savings account)
• Mental Resolutions: (Enjoy life more, spend more time with family and friends, conquer a fear, learn something new, read a BIG book, and devote more time to hobbies.)
• Spiritual Resolutions: (volunteer, meditate more, find a church and pray for others)

When you're sitting in a quiet place working out what you really want from yourself in 2010, I highly recommend you concentrate on the things that are most in line with your values. You have to bring this emotional component into this process or you won't have the necessary energy to carry it out. I recommend that you wander through this list of resolutions and see if any really pop out for "you" to add to your to-do list for the new year. Always remember that when you want to change something about your life, you have to do it because YOU want to do so, and not just because you "should."

2. Write it down and re-read it---frequently!

I can't stress this exercise enough. I have been coaching people in financial independence for over 10 years and the clients who are the most successful in their lives are the ones who actually write down their goals/resolutions and post them in a place where they can see them every day. (My favorite spot is the bathroom mirror!) The power of the written word and the daily attention is incredible and will remind you of the person you want to be rather than the one you see in the mirror. This is a very simple thing to do, but only 3% of people do it. However, most successful people see it as the primary (the #1) activity that keeps them on track to what they want out of life and keeping themselves motivated during times of challenge.

3. Keep your resolutions concise and precise

Many folks who work out resolutions can torpedo themselves by the way they word their goals. You want to focus your concentration on the behavior you want to gain rather than on the negative elements that have lead to your current situation. Example: instead of writing as a resolution that you want to "lose weight this year" (which begs the question of where it is to be abandoned?), write out that you want to weigh 155 pounds by "X" date. Make the timeline achievable and within safe guidelines of weight loss. For me, I don't focus on my weight. I focus on my fitness level. My marker for fitness? How many pushups and pullups I can do in a set. I have just come off a week-long vacation where I did a lot of walking but did bupkiss in the weight training arena. So, today when I started my exercise program (yet again), I could only do 24 pushups on my knees (I had been able to do 12 push ups on my toes!) and one pullup. Yikes!

My resolution will read something like this: I am physically fit. I do 25 pushups from my toes and 10 pullups. Another thing...I've put on some extra pounds around my middle this holiday season. (I do so love Christmas cookies and fudge!) Am I going to focus on that? Nope. (Except that it all tasted REALLY good.) I'm going to put my energy and effort into building muscle again and using fitness markers that have nothing to do with gravity. I officially fired my bathroom scale seven years ago. LOL!

4. Tell someone else about your goals/resolutions

For the women I have coached through the years, talking about their resolutions with a friend or trusted family member is a great way to make it more "real." This is something I do frequently. I'll tell my husband, kids or girl friends what I'm doing and trying to accomplish and then it becomes a commitment to my brain. It's like, "Okay, time to make this happen since my kids know about it and will be checking my progress." When I work out, I have a girl friend who will email me asking how I'm doing on my situps, reps, and overall exercise routine. Having this sort of buddy who checks in on you without judgement is a wonderful way to stay on track and to stay motivated.

5. Fake it until you make it

When you're working on your various goals, see yourself as already "on the path" to achieving them. This is a little mind game that I play all the time with myself to keep from getting "newcomer's syndrome." That means, it is hard to start a new program/behavior/activity because it is so different to you that it feels alien. To keep these sorts of feelings to a minimum, I walk, act, and self-talk like this is old hat and I'm in the process of ramping up the behavior, not starting from scratch.

Again, I'll go with a fitness example. Pullups are tough for me. When I first start working on them I can barely do 1.5 or 1.75. If I'm really lucky I can do 2. So what I do mentally is tell myself is, "Well, yeah, that's the way it is when you've only been doing them a week (actually it was my first day at the pull up bar in over 6 months), "I'm sure that in two weeks I'll be doing 3 or 4." That is what I mean by faking it. Fake like this is just part of the run-of-the-mill routine and you'll accomplish your goals given enough time. You're close, just not "there" yet. Make sense?

6. Keep your list of goals SHORT!