Millions of Americans will announce their intentions to make positive changes in their lives as they toast in the new year. The honeymoon period for these New Year's resolutions rarely last past Valentine's Day. So, why do New Year's resolutions fail? Award-winning author Lee Silber offers the following reasons and rationales, along with a new and improved way to make 2006 your best year yet.

TOO VAGUE —"I'm going to get a better job" or "I want to make more money this year" are both too ambiguous for our brains to do anything with. We need more details and descriptions to work with. Describe (or draw) what a perfect day would be like when you have the job of your dreams. Include as many details as possible. Or, ask yourself who is doing exactly what you want to do and how did they get where they are? As for making more money, exactly how much more do you want to make? Put your desired income amount in the middle of the page and draw lines going into it showing where this added revenue could come from and how much can be counted on from each source.

TOO BORING —Many people make long lists of the things they are NOT going to do during the coming year rather than the things they want TO do. "I will lose weight" is a great goal. However, our brains respond better to the benefits of what we will get rather than the work it will take to get them. Yes, pick a specific size, weight or fitness level to shoot for, but focus on how it will feel to be thinner or more fit. How would your life be better and what would the benefits be if you were in the shape you want to be?

TOO TOUGH —Some people may say, "This is the year I meet and marry my soul mate." That's a lot to wish for. What makes more sense is to come up with some simple steps to put yourself in a position to make this happen. How can you put yourself in the path of the person you hope to meet? Think big, but also set up some small action items you can take to guide your daily decisions about how you spend your time and the things you will DO to make your dream a reality.

TOO ONE-DIMENSIONAL —Many people would prefer their homes and offices to be more organized—and vow to do so each year. "This spring I really will clean up the clutter," they will say. Yet, in spite of a bit of spring cleaning, the clutter continues to pile up throughout the year. For many, seeing is believing. Maybe the motivation you need is a photograph of your ideal office or a clutter-free home. Put it up where you can see it. Go to an open house or two and marvel at how neat and clean a home can be. Create a "Dream Board" with images of what you want your ideal environment to look (and feel) like and put them up where you will see them.

Now we know why most people fail to stick to their New Year's resolutions. The solution to making lasting changes in your life is to engage all of your senses and use both sides of your brain in the planning process. When you know exactly what you want—what it looks like, feels like, sounds like and you can picture and describe it in amazing detail—you are much closer to getting it. Also, by breaking down the dream into small micromovements you can do on a daily basis, you can make it happen one day at a time. Using this approach to your resolutions guarantees a great year in 2006.

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LEE SILBER is the award-winning author of eleven books including Organizing From The Right Side Of The Brain (St. Martins Press, 2004). For the past twenty years Silber has perfected a project he calls the Whole-Brain Goal Planner and is finally ready to share it with the world. To learn more about Lee go to www.creativelee.com . He lives in his dream house on the beach in San Diego, California.