What’s your New Year’s resolution? Lose weight? Stop smoking? Be more benevolent to others or understanding of your family’s annoying quirks?

It’s easy to make a resolution. What’s difficult is keeping it.

The only way to see a difference between this day and this day next year is to not only make a resolution but to answer the question, “how will I keep it?” How are you going to transform your resolution from a wish to a reality?

I’ll leave you to figure out if you will achieve your personal goals. But I want to encourage you to seriously make a writing resolution and put a plan in place to achieve it. Do you want to make more money? How about finding new clients? Perhaps you want to work for a company instead of on your own. Would you like to become a published author? Maybe you want to add a complementary service to offer clients you already have. Whatever your writing resolution is, here’s a quick five-step process to improve on the results:

Declare a single resolution.

Figure out what you want to accomplish. Really think about it. What can you do this year that will make next year better for your writing career? Decide what you want most from your writing life and make just ONE resolution so you have a singular focus. Distractions are not your friend.

Document your goal.

Putting words to paper (you are a writer, after all!) makes your resolution real. Write it out or enter it into your computer; then print out copies. Tape them to your computer screen, bathroom mirror and refrigerator—or on the steering wheel of your car. Reminders of your intention will help you achieve it.

Detail action steps.

A plan, complete with action steps, moves you closer to your goal. Identify and schedule actions into your daily routine. For example, one day each week, make cold calls to introduce yourself to potential new clients. Or, join an association and get involved in committees to gain exposure. Get up an hour earlier than usual twice a week to work on your novel or to research how to approach agents or publishers. Action—not intention—attracts results.

Share your plan.

Involve others to help keep you accountable to your resolution. Tell friends and family about your goals and share details of your action plan. People want you to succeed and will ask for updates on your progress. Have something positive to report.

Mark your progress.

Keep track of how well you’re doing. Even the small successes add up and give us the boost of encouragement we all need to keep going. When you see that you are making progress, you’ll be more inclined to keep the momentum going.

A resolution without a plan is nothing more than a wish. A resolution with a plan is a blueprint for success. Make this year one of action and you will be celebrating your accomplishment next New Year’s Eve.

Happy 2012!