No matter how charmed (or challenging) life can be, the new year always seems to startle us into finding ways to make it better. Remember that trying to make too many changes at once may be so overwhelming that we quit before even getting started. But choosing one really important goal is doable, right? What is a must for you in 2009? Maybe you want to find a new love. Maybe your goal is a leaner, stronger body. Or, maybe your inner fashionista is calling for a new curly hairstyle, revamped wardrobe or makeup makeover. Whatever you choose, making it happen will take a little soul-bearing honesty and a lot of action. Here are a few ways we can all get started on our resolutions as we ring in the new year. And keep them.

Generally, I don’t like making New Year’s resolutions. All too often, I feel like I’m jinxing myself. The minute I say I want X, I find myself doing Y. At the same time, I’m not crazy about the idea that dating is a random act over which I have no control. In hopes of better love in 2009, my sex and dating resolutions are after the jump.

New Years can inspire many things. Like a fresh start and sticking to your resolutions. But for some, one of those resolutions is ditching your spouse. According to lawyers in the UK,
January is the most popular month for couples to split up. Divorce attorneys say January is the busiest month for divorce filings. This is because most couples don’t want to spoil the holidays for their family and because the new year does invoke the idea of new beginning. Legal experts are expecting a record number of separating spouses in the new year as the rising unemployment rate and the crumbling housing market puts relationships under greater strain. Most of the filings happening on January 12, D-Day or Divorce Day, because it’s the Monday after their kids go back to school. Talk about a way to ring in the new year.

It’s that time of year that everyone is making lists, talking about who’s who and sizing up everything that happened in 2008. At the end of a year, your mind can also feed you some pretty tough questions about yourself. Why didn’t you lose the weight? Why did you not sell those stocks and get into cash? Why are you still single?

There’s nothing wrong with vowing to lose weight or quit smoking, but as far as most New Year’s resolutions go, they’re a bit tired and uninspired, don’t you think? For your health and happiness, by all means put down the cigarettes and pick up some hand-weights, but in the interest of personal growth and feeling more connected to the world around you, I suggest you adopt these six resolutions in the new year, too.