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(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

Resolutions are all over the place. I’m not sure why, but it seems like people are talking about them in greater numbers this year than usual. (Is it because people are going public with their resolutions more so than in years past? Or am I just paying more attention?)

If you’re serious about making a change (or multiple changes) in your life, it’s really hard to use the excuse that you don’t have enough information or resources to make it happen. These tips have been repeated all over the place: Set definite time frames to get things done. Make your resolution as specific as possible. Try doing only one thing at a time. Write your resolution down and post it in plain sight, so you’re constantly reminded of what you need to do. Hold yourself accountable.

The reason I’m such a big fan of accountability is because I am also a procrastinator. If I don’t want to do something, and it doesn’t have to be done right then, it’s very easy for me to talk myself out of it. That’s why, rather than making a new list of all the stuff I’d like to accomplish in 2008, my personal resolution is to complete at least four things per month from my 101 Things list. There’s still so many things remaining that I need to get to, I know I’ll be able to find plenty of stuff to keep me busy.

Accountability is important because, without it, most of the time you’re the only one who knows that you’re not doing what you set out to do. This is why some people who resolve to work out enjoy going to the gym with a friend, or setting up a definite time to go for a walk with a group. If you don’t show up, they know about it, and if they’re good friends they’ll mention it and make you feel just guilty enough to show up on time for the next appointment.

I hold myself accountable to completing 101 Things by posting a monthly update of what I’ve been able to check off in the past month. I said in the very beginning that I would do this, and I’ve continued to do so every month for the past year.

If you want to keep your resolutions (instead of joining of the majority of people who give up in the first few weeks after New Year’s) why not make a commitment to tell other people how you’re doing? It could be a single friend who you trust to continue checking in with you, if that works best. But if you have a blog, you have an advantage because you already have the public forum you need to begin.

If one of your resolutions is to do something healthy every day, why not make a commitment to write that on your blog? “I didn’t eat any junk food all day” or “Today I went for a 40-minute bike ride.” If you don’t post it, you’ll have a big blank space — and hopefully someone will say, “Hey, what’s up? What did you do today that’s good for your body?” Accountability is why contestants on programs like The Biggest Loser are able to lose so much weight in a short period of time. They’re accountable to the trainers, the producers, the cameras, to all the people who will be watching at home. This might result in a lot of pressure, but sometimes we need that kind of pressure if we want to kick ourselves into mobility.

I think this resolution by Charming, but single is probably easier said than done, but I still like it.

I resolve to pause before buying (or consuming) anything (yes, fatty foods included) and ask myself, “Am I buying this to fill some imaginary void in my life or satisfy some fleeting emotion?” If so, I will put it down.

Among other things, LJ wants to cut back on her soda consumption.

Give up, or at least scale back, the amount of Diet Coke I’m inhaling and instead substitute the fabulous FREE bottles of water sitting around our office. (See, not only is it better for me with all the walking one does in the city, but it’s a money saver!)

(One thing I might suggest — why not use a refillable water container? On top of being a money saver, it’s also a lot better for the environment than throwing away all those plastic bottles. I keep a Brita pitcher in my fridge at home, and we have a filtered water dispenser at work.)

Susan Smalley says if we resolve to respect ourselves, the other things will fall into place. One of her examples:

Respect Yourself — attention and high regard for you means caring for what food and substances you put in your body, taking care of it through daily exercise (but not too much), reducing stress (simplifying your life), giving your body and mind time to recover or rest from the doing cycle of life by getting sleeping well, meditating, and relaxing.

On a related note, if your resolution is to lose weight, Erin makes a good point about focusing on overall health and not just the weight loss itself.

I think where we tend to mess is up is that we solely focus our efforts on weight-loss. It’s a fine goal, but it’s not enough of a motivator to keep anyone on the path to good health. If it was, we wouldn’t be subjected to yet another holiday season with yet another slogan out of our friends from Weight Watchers.

One of the ways in which I’ve tried to shift my focus is to remember that ultimately what brings me the most joy out of my efforts is feeling better. That feeling gets disseminated in a variety of ways, some of which are certainly vain, but for the most part, it’s just walking around in my own body and not feeling achy and sore and bloated and sad and panicked. Eating right, taking my vitamins, getting sleep, exercise … all of those things accomplish that and make me feel … well, better. Sure, weight loss has been a by-product of those efforts, but not focusing on the scale has kept me from stalling out and quitting completely.

How’s this for a lofty (but inspiring) goal? Stephanie wants to be uplifting. Her blog focuses on positive body image and weight loss — her own and that of other people. I think she’s already well on her way to being uplifting.

The inspiration for 2008’s resolution came from me thinking about my life purpose. It’s interesting, when you get older, the thing that becomes more and more important, at least for me, is that you want to know, “Why am I here? Why did God put me on this planet? or better yet “What was so important that my spirit wanted/had to come back to earth?” [...]

I still don’t know exactly what my life purpose is but I found a clue in thinking about what I want my legacy to be when I leave this earth. I want to be known as someone who was loyal, who was real, and who helped others. I want to be known for my creativity, my humor, and my insights. I feel great joy when I have done something that helps someone else have a better day or better life.

Workout Mommy has made some very specific goals, and she knows exactly what to do so she’ll be faced with them all the time.

Even better is that I’m documenting my goals on a big piece of poster board that I will hang in my dining room. (there is nothing else in there, so why not?!) This way I cannot claim “oh, I forget what I resolved to do….” because that list is going to look me in the eyes every morning! It is going to keep me honest.

1. Lose 15 lbs of fat by Memorial Day
2. Run a 1/2 marathon by Labor Day
3. Eat an apple every time I find myself looking for a cookie, brownie, or candy. (if I’m still hungry after eating the apple, I will allow myself the treat)
4. Eat at least one green vegetable with dinner
5. Drink less diet soda. (I know that I cannot commit to kicking the habit entirely, so I’m giving myself some leeway on this one!)

Lisa wants this to be her fastest year ever. She wants to bike so much that her “quads of steel become quads of titanium.” But how about something that’s even more outwardly visible?

Seriously. Get abs.

I might as well, right? I don’t need the full six pack, just impressive definition.

(Ah, yes, abs. I’m working on that, too. Maybe I just need to do a better job of focusing on Workout Mommy’s #3 resolution — the one about eating an apple when you want something sweet…)

And don’t forget — the most popular resolutions aren’t things that should be short-term changes, so don’t go forgetting your Old Year’s Resolutions. Crabby McSlacker explains:

What The Hell are Old Year’s Resolutions?

It’s a list of all the things you were working on last year and intend to keep doing. New Years doesn’t come in a vacuum, and if you’re here reading a health and fitness blog, there’s a good chance you weren’t just sitting on your ass eating Domino’s Oreo dessert pizzas for all of
2007.

Make sure you pat yourself on the back for every accomplishment you can remember from last year. Did you start running, quit smoking, cut back on sugar, eat more vegetables last year? Did you snap less at your spouse or get better at recycling or figure out how to get an extra half hour of sleep an night? Hooray for you!

And if you want to think ahead on how you might want to build on that; that’s cool too. But small accomplishments under your belt beat grandiose promises for the future. Celebrate your past success and plan on having more of it in 2008!

Related reading:

Lifehack: 14 Tips for resolutions that stick in the new year

Lifehack: 15 Tips to Restart the Exercise Habit (and How to Keep It)

Robert Reames says: “Face It, America: Diets Don’t Work.”