The year is coming to an end.

So, it is not quite the end of the year yet, but it is fast approaching.  I don't know about you, but resolutions from last year and potential ones for next year start popping in to my head.  I start thinking about the thousands of things that I want to accomplish and that I want to improve on.  I inevitably make a list and proclaim, this will be the year that I follow through.  However, June rolls around and I realize that I really haven't started them, or dropped off.
      Why do we put ourselves through this every year, and why is it so important to make a new years resolution?  Do any of you know the history behind it?  This is going to be the final year that I actually attempt a new years resolution.  I want to see if I can really focus on year long goals and really stick to them.  If not, I will be done with them.
       In an attempt to make this resolution more successful I am going to focus on one goal.  There are going to be a few requirements for this goal. They are as follows,
1. Must affect more than one area of my life, and have multiple benefits.
2. Has to be measurable and concrete.
3. It must be realistic and take in to account my current life and time availability.
4. If I do meet this resolution, I will set a tangible reward, I will set aside the money for it before hand and give it to someone I trust.  They will be in charge of making sure I don't buy it until I have reached the goal.
5. I will set benchmarks for myself to show that progress has been made.
       This is very much the same way I set goals for the students in my special education class.  I really think applying what I do for them will help my achieve my own personal goals.

Before the new year I will post what my resolution is and what I will have as a reward.

So, what do you think the history behind resolutions is?  And do you make resolutions every year, do you keep them, do you not?  What is your philosophy on the whole subject?