The New Year is here. And, in addition to your personal resolutions for 2008, maybe you should make some professional ones as well.

They can be as easy as making yourself leave your desk for 20 minutes every day, or having lunch with a friend at least once a week.

"Do not make the mistake of committing to a New Year's resolution that you know will not be kept," said Dennis Swearingen, president of Professional Staff Management Inc. in Richmond, Ind.

He suggests coming up with resolutions you can keep - even things as simple as committing yourself to working more efficiently and reducing long hours, exercising for at least 20 minutes three times a week, or setting aside more personal time for you and your family.

"Think of the little things that matter in your professional and personal life, make the commitments that will pay the small dividends both personally and professionally and stick to them," Swearingen said. "You will be surprised at your accomplishments by the year end."

Work smarter, not harder.

Too often we find ourselves telling our boss or co-workers that "I worked 65 hours this week." Have you ever analyzed what you accomplished in those hours? In all of our jobs, we have internal and external vendors and customers who can affect our work schedule, thus creating disruption in what we thought was going to be a productive day. If you begin to analyze your day, you will begin to see where you may be using time inefficiently. Once you get a handle on these inefficiencies, you will see how much more productive you will become without working long hours each week.

Keep a positive attitude.

How many times have you been affected by a co-worker with a negative attitude? They create disruption and chaos in the workplace, and you begin to see your attitude changing as well. We all have the choice of what type of attitude we will project every day. Positive attitudes will generate positive energy and will create a more productive and enjoyable work environment. Consider those who don't have a job or those who are terminally ill and can't work. There are people in this world who always have it worse than we do. Choose to be positive, and you'll be amazed at how your work environment will change.

Improve at least two work habits.

We are all human and we all have room for improvement. Consider the financial gain your company could experience if each employee made at least two improvements in their work habits. Think of the personal satisfaction you will gain as an individual. Whether through a formal review with your supervisor or a self-evaluation, we can all think of at least two areas that can be improved. If your company has as few as 25 employees, that will result in 50 improvements in work habits in 2008.

Exercise three times per week.

Many studies have shown that exercising for as little as 20 minutes a day can have a positive, long-term effect on your health. Exercise can increase your energy level and brain activity, as well as self-esteem. When you feel better about yourself, you will have a positive outlook on other activities in your life, both personally and professionally. This doesn't have to be a complete change in your personal life. If you think about it, we all waste at least 20 minutes every day on various things; instead, why not use it to exercise?

Set aside personal and family time.

We need to find more balance in our lives. Spending too much time at work for long periods of time can be detrimental not only to our families but also to our health. Personal and family time is needed to relieve the stress that most of us have at work. You can accomplish this commitment by simply taking time to read a book for an hour in the evening or watching a movie with your family. An hour at the dinner table can prove rewarding by helping you to catch up on your family's activities throughout the day. And use the vacation days the company gives you each year.