Got resolutions?

People are the world are ready to start the new year with a resolution.

From joining a gym to starting a diet to getting up earlier in the morning, the start of 2011 presents an opportunity for fresh beginnings and a new start on life for many.

But why is it that the majority of individuals' resolutions are more fragile than a 95-year-old woman's hip, and ultimately end up breaking?

The British author Oscar Wilde once said, "Good resolutions are simply chequess that men draw on a bank where they have no account."

But the problem isn't people's will power to follow through with their promises, it's in the resolutions themselves.

Make no mistake, I'm no better than the average person. I've broke way more resolutions than hearts in my 26 years. That is, until I took a new approach to my annual New Year's pledge.

Instead of vowing to do something unpleasant (like go to aerobics classes, eat more spinach or follow Dancing with the Stars), try doing something that's enjoyable but hard to find time to do. For example, one year I decided to go to the movies once a week. While you may be think this resolution doesn't make me a better person, you may be right, but the point of my pledge was to make my life more enjoyable – and mission accomplished.

So don't aim for something that will you'll hate doing. because the goal isn't to make the next year miserable. Rather, opt for a pact that will make you happier – it could be vowing to spend more time with your family, attempting to learn a new language, going for walks through the woods, regularly reading this column, or finally working up the courage to perform a standup comedy routine at amateur night.

Use the start of another year to motivate you to do all the things you didn't do the previous 365 days. Don't live by carpe diem when you can carpe annum (seize the year).

And I pity the people who think they're above resolutions. These individuals are either scared of failure or afraid of improvement.

Benjamin Franklin, who helped pen the American Declaration of Independence, once said, "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man."

I know, I know, I should be quoting one of Canada's founding fathers, but Sir John A. McDonald, though a great leader, wasn't known for his one-liners.