Contributed by WR Murphy

Everyone seems to make New Year's resolutions, and very few of them seem to make it to February. This year, I've decided to write a list of the top 10 reasonable New Year's resolutions, in the hopes that we can make some lasting improvement in our lives, rather than exhaust and starve ourselves for the first three days of 2010. I've broken the resolutions down by category.

Fitness resolutions

Losing weight is a perennially popular goal. Here are a few reasonable resolutions that can help: 1) Pick a time to go to the gym. Don't resolve that you'll start spending 20 hours a week there, or that you'll run fifty miles, or complete a marathon. Just pick three or four days a week to go, and make sure you go. 2) Drink water when you're thirsty. Soda, Gatorade, coffee, bottled green tea, and all the rest taste great, but most of them carry some unnecessary calories, and all carry some unnecessary chemicals. I'm not saying don't ever drink coffee, merely that you shouldn't drink it just to satisfy thirst - that's what water's for. 3) Make a small change in your diet. I am a creature of habit - I eat the same thing for breakfast almost every day, and lunch doesn't change a whole lot either. Making a small change, such a switching to a breakfast cereal that has less sugar in it, can make a real difference in your health, and is an easy resolution to keep once you get in the habit.

Intellectual resolutions

Learning is a lifelong task, and shouldn't end when we get out of school. Here are some simple resolutions to help keep your mind sharp: 1) Read every day. You don't need to become a bookworm or finish War and Peace this weekend; just pick up a book or read something online every day. 2) Use your dictionary. If you're reading, and you come across a word that you've never seen before, or can't quite remember, or think sounds funny, look it up. This won't take five minutes a week, but before you know it, you'll have made great improvements to your ability to write and speak. 3) Keep a journal. You needn't set down five pages every time you go to the store. Personally, I write one or two short entries a week. It helps me a lot - it gives me a chance to vent, and to organize my thoughts for the week.

Personal resolutions

Being a better friend, or a better neighbor, is always worth working towards. Here are some concrete ways to move towards these goals: 1) Say hello to all your neighbors. Are there people who live down the street that you never see, or never wave to, because you don't know them? Next time you see them, introduce yourself. It will make your neighborhood a better place to live. 2) Write someone a letter once a month. You can do this when you sit down to pay your bills. People love to get letters. 3) Keep in touch. Send someone you haven't heard from in a while an email, or call them. Set a two week limit on writing back to someone who writes you. Last, but not least, find a way of giving a little bit of your time and your talent to someone who needs it. Writing checks to charitable organizations is nice, but in my opinion, there's no substitute for actually getting your hands dirty. I'm sure some organization in your neighborhood, or an elderly neighbor, could use a hand. Lend it.