Happy New Year! Are you having a great start to the New Year? Did you make New Year's Resolutions this year?

There's a wide range of responses to resolutions. Some people relish the fresh start that a new year provides and have boundless ideas and lists of what they'd like to do or change. Others are content with the status quo and prefer not to rock the boat. Many, frustrated by a track record of unmet resolutions, feel jaded and scoff at the process. What's your take on resolutions?

Whether it's exercising, eating healthy foods, or cutting back on caffeine, why is it that people so quickly become disillusioned with their New Year's Resolutions? Would we all be better off simply not making resolutions at all?

I don't think so. I believe we are wise to pay attention to our intentions. There's often a lull after the holidays that invites us to slow down, pause, reflect on the past year, and dream of the year to come. We vow to make changes or at least entertain optimistic fantasies when there are things we want to improve in our lives. Just as an oyster needs an irritating grain of sand before it can produce a pearl, our dissatisfaction provides incentive for change. A new year gives us a chance for a fresh, new beginning and an opportunity for transformation.

But how do we go about creating change that will stick, come February, March, and even May? Most resolutions fail because they seem like a lot of hard work. It's hard to be enthusiastic about something that's a struggle. Take a different approach this year. Make resolutions that are fun, exciting, and make you happy. Go for an enticing outcome, but make sure the process of getting there is enjoyable. My theory is: joyful resolutions naturally happen.

We each have a built-in tool that can help us envision and successfully commit to joyful resolutions. It's an internal compass that I call a Joy-o-meter™. It can tell you if you are heading in the right direction, if you are in danger of veering off course, or if you are completely derailed. Your Joy-o-meter can guide you in making decisions about starting, stopping, or changing a particular course of action. Because we are hardwired for happiness, our Joy-o-meter always gives a true reading without ever needing to be recalibrated. To consult your Joy-o-meter, get quiet and relaxed, and then check in with yourself to measure your level of joy.

Ask your Joy-o-meter:
o On a scale from 1-10, how happy am I?
o How joyful would (Fill in the blank with whatever is in question.)_______________ make me?
o How happy would I be to stop ___________?
o How happy would I be to start ___________?
o What could bring me more joy? o How happy would I be if I made this change?

In The Art of Happiness, the Dalai Lama teaches that being happy is not difficult. It's a matter of discovering what makes you happy and then cultivating that in your life. The Joy-o-meter can help you do just that. Have fun using this tool to create and stick to resolutions that magnify the joy in your life.

Grace Durfee is a Professional Certified Coach, trainer, and speaker who works with busy professionals, small business owners, and career changers who want to achieve professional success while enjoying more balanced lives. She is the author of the book Balance with Grace: Celebrate the Kaleidoscope of Life (January 2008). To learn more and read her blog visit http://www.balancewithgrace.com