“New Year’s Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.”  – Mark Twain

If there’s anything people are talking about now other than snow, it’s their New Year’s resolutions, or lack thereof. This tradition of self-renewal (and self-denial) apparently dates back to Babylonian (or Roman?) times, though now we are more likely to pledge to lose weight than return the neighbors’ farm equipment.

New Year’s in general celebrates a whole new year – in this case, a new decade, a new beginning, a new number to remember when dating your checks. But the concept of resolutions is one of betterment, to cleanse oneself of bad habits, imperfections and unfulfilled promises and goals. Now is the time to start over, they say.

But if to pledge a resolution is almost a recipe for failure, to dismiss one is pronouncing the glass is half-empty.

How many people make at least one resolution each year? The numbers vary from source to source, but the overwhelming result is that few of them are kept though year’s end. If you actively use your gym membership or know people who smoke, chances are you’ve seen the unfortunate influx and outflow of regular club members, or the frustration as your friends or family pick up their packs again.

It’s not to say resolutions aren’t a great idea, or you shouldn’t start out of the gate with optimism and motivation. It’s just that most people don’t have a plan. They just throw an idea out, and that’s that.

Some resolutions – spending more time with family or making more time for yourself – are enjoyable, easily obtainable goals; however, kicking a habit such as smoking, drinking or overeating is about more than just driving to see grandma on occasion or scheduling a spa appointment.

According to Dr. John C. Norcross of the University of Scranton, 40 to 45 percent of American adults made a resolution this year, and he claims 40 to 46 percent of “resolvers” will be successful at six months. In fact, Norcross states that those who make resolutions are 10 times more likely to reach their goals than “non-resolvers” with the same goals and comparable motivation.

He even provides a checklist to consult before Jan. 1, in January and February and beyond. Many of the tips, like engaging others for support and rewarding successes in a healthy way, are common suggestions for setting goals, particularly fitness-related ones.

The best advice Norcross gives is that “meaningful change takes time. It takes three to six months before a change becomes routine.”

It’s a hard truth to swallow, but time and patience are weighty factors in keeping those resolutions.

So cheers to those keeping a New Year’s resolution (or two or three). May diligence, willpower and small but steady steps guide you in 2010.

Katie Johnson is managing editor of the Niles Daily Star, Edwardsburg Argus and Cassopolis Vigilant. She can be reached at (269) 687-7713 or at katie.john son@leaderpub.com.