Think about the predicament we put ourselves in... It's really hard to set a plan in motion and expect it to last the whole year through without any reflection, follow-up and maintenance.

Zig Ziglar said, "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily." I couldn't agree more.

For me, it often felt like I was taking a bath on January 1st and expecting to stay clean for the entire year. It just doesn't work that way.

We succeed when we make a weekly practice to look at ourselves and our lives and plan accordingly.

Circumstances and schedules are always changing, therefore we must be willing to change along side them.

Here are 4 tips to make resolutions that work.

1) Draw a pie and break it up into different life sections. For example, your pie could be broken up into these categories: marriage, kids, self-care, spirituality, work, etc. Pick one or two resolutions you would like to add, remove, change or accomplish for each one.

2) Write a sentence for each one that goes something like this: I want to be a more attentive parent BECAUSE my kids deserve it. The reason you are writing them in a sentence like this is so you become aware of your motives. The word 'because' pushes you to dig deep as to why you want what you say you want. When you know what you want and why you want it, it triples your success. When you're done your sentences, ask yourself these, "Is my motivation positive? Does it serve my greatest good?" If so, move forward. If not, go back to the drawing board.

3) Pick a day of the week where you can commit to re-visiting your resolutions. (You'll even start to make new resolutions every week when you get into your groove!) You only need about 20 minutes or so to plan your week. When you schedule this very important time every week, you are taking care of what is important to you and you are giving yourself a fresh start every week. Sunday's are my day for this, but you should pick any day that works best for you! (Think of it as your weekly motivational bath...) :)

4) Follow through. When you plan your week according to what you want, discipline yourself to follow through. Don't let anything trump your schedule besides a few exceptions here and there. Remember that your needs are important and they deserve to be met.

Keep your resolutions simple but make them significant every week! Happy 2012 Everyone! You've got this one in the bag!