Contributed by Info Guru Terri Wallace

A new year means a clean slate — a chance to create a better version of your life.

So, instead of the same, old tired promise to “lose twenty pounds,” consider a resolution that you might actually enjoy keeping!

10. Get Organized

One way to start the New Year off right is to get organized. It is hard to feel good about things when you have to dig through piles of junk mail to find a bill that should have been paid last week. If anyone has ever called you a “hoarder” or “pack-rat” this might be the resolution for you!

9. Save More Money

Finding ways to save money and to build up a nest egg are good ways to invest in your peace of mind. Even as little as five percent of your paycheck will start to add up. At any rate, putting anything aside to save is better than nothing. If your savings account has a negative balance, or if you don’t even have a savings account, then shake out your sofa cushions and head to the bank to open one now!

8. Go Green

Reduce your carbon footprint in the New Year by resolving to do more to help the environment. Recycle, reuse, grow your own fruit and vegetables, walk more, drive less, and give some thought to how your actions affect the planet. If your trash can is overflowing with disposable items, if you eat out every day, or if you go days without walking further than from the sofa to the refrigerator, you should add this to your list of resolutions.

7. Spruce Up Your Home

Remodeling or updating your home can boost your spirits and inspire your to update other areas of your life as well. If your walls are the same blue mauve that you painted it back in the 90s, or if you can’t remember the last time you actually painted anything, it is time to prep the walls and head down to the hardware store to stock up on paintbrushes.

6. Conquer a Fear

Don’t let your fears follow you into the New Year; resolve to conquer at least one of your fears! If you are deathly afraid of heights, it might be time to finally go sky diving. If the idea of speaking in public causes you to break out in a cold sweat, enroll in a speech course at the community college.

5. Have Fun!

If you realize that your face has developed a permanent frown line, that you don’t remember what your own laugh sounds like, or if your best friend mentions that you never seem to smile, it is time to add some fun to your new year. Go to a comedy club, watch a Three Stooges marathon, or observe kittens at play. Plan a regular “Family Fun Night” and schedule bowling, roller skating, and other events; and remember, don’t take it too seriously!

4. Support a Cause

Maybe you have always admired how St. Jude’s Research Hospital helps cancer patients, or groups that provide awareness, search for cures, provide moral support, or ease fears. Instead of just admiring them, get involved yourself. Donate your time, your skills, or your extra funds to help support a cause close to your heart.

3. Learn a New Skill

If you have ever wanted to learn to sew, to knit, to cook, or to ski, this is the year to do it! The hardest part of learning a new skill is taking that first step towards learning it. Check out some books, enroll in a course, enlist the help of a talented friend, but don’t ever stop learning new things!

2. Pursue Your Dream Job

When you start “clock watching” and counting the minutes until the end of your work day, it is time to consider a change in careers. Make a list of things that you are good at, things that you like to do, and research careers that implements your interests and abilities. Don’t waste another year doing a job you hate.

1. Get Healthy

Quit putting off your annual physical, that mammogram, that dental check-up. Make the New Year a time of health. Sign up for a yoga class, join a rowing team, or take up rock climbing. Drink less soda, eat more fruits and vegetables, and get more rest.