RESOLVED, that for the year 2007, I, ____________________, will ____________. It's that time of year again. Lots of people are making resolutions. But study after study tells us that most New Year's resolutions don't last. Why?

1) The timing is arbitrary, not tied to an immediate concern;

2) People frequently make too many resolutions -- and they just add too much more to an already full plate;

3) January, with its "iffy" weather, can often be disruptive to your regular schedule, impeding a strong start. The odds are against success -- even with the best of intentions. All of which leads us to failure, frustration and fragmentation - yes, we fail and end up feeling lousy about ourselves. It doesn't have to be.

In fact, I've started advising people against making New Year's resolutions, and in making too many resolutions, in general.

Make your commitments (aka resolutions) when the time to commit is upon you whenever that happens during the year. Limit yourself to 3-5 intermediate term initiatives (1-3 years) or 2-3 lifelong goals, or some combination of the two, but never more than 5. Don't add another commitment until you have an opening and celebrate your successes when they happen. A closing quote comes to mind, "See everything, overlook a great deal, improve a little." (Pope John XXIII)

In case you are interested, the Internet (I do love it) tells us that the tradition of making New Year's Resolutions began with the Babylonians, whose most popular resolution (according to my Internet source) was to return borrowed farm equipment.