Resolutions help us come clean on what needs changing in our livesThere is great power in confession.That’s why it feels good to make New Year’s resolutions: we admit to what we need to improve and make a commitment to change for the better.The first week of the New Year, with a fresh calendar reminding us that we are literally starting over, is the perfect time to resolve to change.The list varies a little by source, but the most common resolutions are: 1. Lose weight (According to the American Heart Association, 107 million American adults are overweight and 44 million are considered obese.)2. Stop smoking 3. Stick to a budget 4. Save or earn more money or get out of debt 5. Find a better job 6. Become more organized 7. Exercise more 8. Be more patient at work or with others 9. Eat better 10. Become a better personMaybe your resolution will be to learn something new or fix a relationship or even finish a project. A good one might be not to start something new, but to bring back something old.The odds are simply stacked against a New Year’s resolution turning into a permanent improvement.A 1998 study from the University of Scranton showed the success rate of resolution makers was about 19 percent two years later no matter what the resolution was. Most are kaput by June.Making a resolution is difficult because it’s almost a sure way to set ourselves up for failure when, by the act of making a resolution, we’ve just admitted to failing.It’s only Jan. 5, so hang in there with whatever resolutions you were brave enough to make. Maybe you’ll be among the 19 percent who are successful. And if, like me, you haven’t made a resolution yet, maybe now is the time to confess our shortcomings and try to do better in 2006.