I don’t usually subscribe to the idea of New Year’s resolutions. I don’t like the idea that only once a year you  should resolve to do something to improve yourself or your life. I think improving and bettering yourself is something that should be done year-round, not just once a year. Self-improvement is supposed to be an ongoing never-ending process. Small goals can and should be implemented all year.

I’m also not particularly stuck on making the resolutions at the 1st of the year and diving right into them. Typically things that I resolve to do are goals or ideas that I came up with months before at the end of the previous year.

In the past most of my goals or resolutions have been sustainability related. One year I resolved to use less water and that was the year my family got me a rainwater barrel for Christmas. So it was already pretty easy for me to use the rainwater barrel to water the garden. I also got really into recycling graywater (mostly clean water that would normally be disposed of) that year.

The year we became parents I resolved to go organic as much as possible  and slowly but surely we switched over the majority of our  own diet. We also chose nothing but organic products for baby Everly that year.

As you can see most of my resolutions or goals are specific lifestyle changes that eventually amount to a larger goal; to be self sustainable, to live more simply and to get back to basics.  They are not as vague as most people’s common resolutions (aka “lose 30 pounds” or “get back into my skinny jeans”).

I’m not saying weight loss isn’t a good resolution. I know weight loss is a major goal for a lot of people. Unfortunately, without having a clear idea of what that and changes should be made, these resolutions will likely fail.

This year I want to grow more of our family’s food in our garden and rely less on other farmers and grocery stores to feed our family during the growing season. I also really want to cut down on the amount of wasted resources in our home. This means I want to preserve more of what we do grow in the garden so can be used and enjoyed for longer. Also, I would like to waste less in terms of leftover foods and whatever else that can manage to be repurposed. I hate throwing things out that can still be used, so I hope that we can find more creative ways to repurpose things in the coming year.

So, to answer the question “what can be done to keep or maintain your New Year’s resolution?” I would say the key is in what you specifically resolve to do.

If you really want to get yourself into your skinny jeans or lose weight or any other number of common resolutions then you need to think about how you’re going to get there. Instead of just waving that end result in front of yourself as the  carrot, you need to really acknowledge and understand the work that it’s going to take to get you to where you want to be.

The people who have a clear picture of the path they need to take already in their head are more likely to succeed.  This is because they’re not delusional about what they need to do to get there.  They are not scrambling to find fast or easy solutions to aid them in achieving their goals.

So maybe instead of resolving to lose 30 pounds you could turn that goal into something more attainable and more ongoing by resolving to eat healthier instead or by resolving to improve your wellness. That way you’re actually focusing on and targeting the area that needs some work in order for you to achieve your end result.

Perhaps the key to success in New Year’s resolutions is how you word what you resolve and furthermore how you look at the steps needed to get there.

What do you think the key is to maintaining or succeeding at New Year’s resolutions?

Discuss on Twitter with these links:

• I think the key to success with New Years Resolutions is_________       or
• My New Years Resolution is to ___________ 

For more talk as New Year’s resolutions visit: http://www.blogher.com/five-easy-ways-keep-your-resolutions or enter the Life Well Lived Sweepstakes here: http://www.blogher.com/life-well-lived-moments-sweepstakes-5