by Molly McGuire

Created on: November 24, 2009

Mark Twain said a New Year's resolution is "a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls and humbug resolutions." Irish humorist Oscar Wilde called annual resolutions "simply checks men draw on a bank where they have no account." But no matter what you believe about resolutions, one thing is certain: They are good intentions that seldom make a difference in our lives even when we really try. Statistics show that though 100 million people around the world make New Year's resolutions, 80 million of those do not keep them.

Across the Internet, dozens of websites offer resolution lists, and the top ten most listed are the following, in no particular order:
1. Spend more time with family
2. Get fit
3. Quit smoking
4. Lose weight
5. Enjoy life more
6. Quit drinking
7. Get out of debt
8. Learn something new
9. Help others
10. Get organized.

While all of these are good, it seems the last one-get organized-should head the list because if we could all get organized, the others become easier.

Several sites offered some alternatives: get a better job, stick to a budget, and find a soul mate, but most stick to the ten listed here. The U.S. government's website includes some alternatives: get a better education, reduce stress at home and at work, take a trip, and save money; however, they list twelve items, not the ten offered on most other web pages.

Yet, the question remains: Which list do you want? Different occupations have varying objectives, and the resolutions reflect each group's interests. Entrepreneurial sites include keep innovating, maximize time and resources, improve systems, increase in-house e-mail lists, participate in online conversations, meet more "real'' . people outside the office environment, learn something new, ditch it if it's not working, keep updating your to do list and last, get a life!

If you peruse the web, you will find a list of New Year's resolutions for everybody, no matter what their interests. Since going green is a popular direction this year, several organizations offer a list of energy-saving resolutions that will combat global warming and put pennies back in your pocket.

For your home, these include
1. Get a jacket for your hot water heater to save energy.
2. Turn your thermostat down, particularly while you're sleeping.
3. Buy Energy Star appliances...they use less energy.
4. Don't run the dishwasher or washing machine unless they're full, and try hanging things

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