So it’s already half way through January are most of us are wondering where those few weeks of R&R went.  So how are you going with those Resolutions you made?  Still hanging in there or already over? 
I thought I’d have a look at the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions made and see how they tally with yours.  According to the website squidoo.com, these are the Top 10 on the Resolution List are:
1. Stop Smoking
2. Get into a Habit of being Fit
3. Lose Weight – the Battle of the Bulge
4. Enjoy Life More.
5. Quit Drinking
6. Organise Yourself – this is one of the keys to reaching your goals
7. Learn Something New
8. Get out of Debt
9. Spend More Time With Family
10. Help People.
The way I see it, over half of these involve either saving or spending money to achieve. 
I’d suggest perhaps just hitting your top two or three and seeing how you go with achieving these before moving on.  Some motivation might come from setting a basic budget – i.e. seeing how much you’ll save on quitting smoking and reducing grog.
All this talk of new year resolutions can be a bit overwhelming. Goal setting is great, but when it comes to strict diets and gruelling work targets, studies show that if we’re too hard on ourselves we’re actually more likely to binge, burnout and end up going further backwards than forwards.
When it comes to making long term changes, the old adage of “slow and steady wins the race” is often best. We like that idea much better!  Perhaps buddy up with a pal with similar plans and kill two or more birds with one stone – you may Get into a habit of Being Fit, Lose Weight, and Enjoy Life More… all at the same time!  Then again Quitting Smoking and Reducing the Grog may also help with Getting out of Debt!
And always – if you need the help of friends, family or an expert – never be afraid to ask.
Hope 2013 is a cracker of a year for you!