It is New Year's Eve and Charlie Brown says to Lucy: "Next year I am going to be a changed person."

"That's a laugh," says Lucy sarcastically.

"I mean it," says Charlie, "I'm going to be strong and firm."

"Forget it," says Lucy. "You'll always be wishy-washy."

Charlie Brown offers a compromise: "I'll be wishy one day and washy the next!"

Like Charlie Brown, most of us set New Year's resolutions that are a little vague -- lose some weight, spend more time with family and friends, quit smoking, quit drinking, enjoy life more, get out of debt, help others, get organized and on and on.

Just think, if everyone kept their New Year's resolutions, the world would be a lot different: We'd have healthier people that would show up for work on time, smoke and drink less, and be more organized.

Why don't resolutions work? There are lots of reasons. Resolutions need to be specific, attainable and personal. They need to come from your heart.

And here's a tip -- the fewer resolutions you have, the better. Too many changes at once, no matter how well-intentioned, become burdensome and confusing. Then it's too easy to chuck it all and slip back into old habits.

What often happens is that people set a goal or resolution and then they falter and just want to give up. That's understandable. Don't cave in and quit altogether. Just start up again. Give yourself a new incentive.

When I make a New Year's resolution, I tell other people about it so it puts pressure on me to stick with it. I'm also a big believer in rewarding myself when I succeed or accomplish something.

This is a new year. It's a fresh start -- a new page or chapter in your life. There will never be a better time to try something new. Maybe you want to start a blog, research your family history, learn first aid or start running. How about you just forgive someone? Or decide to worry less? Whatever you decide, make sure you can actually accomplish what you aim to do. Don't set yourself up for failure by creating unrealistic goals or putting them off indefinitely.

As author and minister Charles M. Sheldon said, "Good resolutions are like babies crying in church. They should be carried out immediately."

Maybe this year you want to do something different. Forget the boring, routine promises you struggle to keep. Try resolving to be more creative in 2014 with some of these suggestions:

-- Keep a journal. Spend a few minutes every day or so writing down your thoughts, feelings, dreams and ambitions -- not your daily schedule or your upcoming appointments. Record positive events, quotes and experiences. Let your mind wander a little. You may be surprised at the ideas you generate.

-- Read more. Vary your reading habits and explore different topics. If you usually read novels, try a biography. If you read only history, try a book on modern-day science. Read a good book every month if possible. You'll exercise your mind, and maybe find new connections between ideas.

-- Learn something new. Take a class in something unrelated to your job or your usual hobbies -- art, auto mechanics or a new language. Mastering new skills can refresh your outlook on life.

-- Meet new people. Make a conscious effort to make new friends or professional contacts this year. Look for gatherings of people whose interests match yours and network with them. The more people you know, the better equipped you are to learn and grow.

-- Create something for the heck of it. Paint a picture, write a poem or start a garden -- not because you'll get paid for it, but because you want to. How about starting a collection of something? You'll find satisfaction in achieving personal goals and motivation to keep trying new things.

-- Volunteer. Find a cause you support, and offer your time and service. You'll meet new people, enjoy the feeling of helping out with an important cause, and enhance your own skills.

-- Practice gratitude. Look for small gestures in everyday life that you are fortunate to experience. Seek out ways that you can be helpful; you will reap immediate rewards!

Mackay's Moral: A New Year's resolution should not be something that goes in one year and out the other! Happy 2014!

If you are a track and field fan, you probably know all about the "Fosbury Flop," a story that tells a world of things about innovation, persistence and a burning desire to win.

Dick Fosbury was a good high jumper and he seemed to have reached the maximum height his body could clear. But he kept an open mind and began to experiment with every different way a body could be propelled over the bar.

The style he finally developed was different than anyone else had ever seen. The jump is done head first, with the flat of the back clearing the bar and then the knees are drawn up, jackknife fashion. When people first saw him do it, they went away shaking their heads.

But in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, Dick Fosbury set a new Olympic high-jump record and won a gold medal for the United States. It was a triumph born of fresh thinking and dogged experimentation. Today, many of the world's best high jumpers base their jumping style on the Fosbury Flop.

"Business has only two functions," wrote management guru Peter Drucker, "marketing and innovation."

Innovation is what drives our great country. Look at all the great innovative companies, such as Bill Gates' Microsoft, Steve Jobs' Apple and Howard Schulz's Starbucks. These innovative leaders found a new or better way of doing something.

Domino's Pizza shocked the industry with the original idea of guaranteeing pizza delivery in 30 minutes or get $3 off.

Amway introduced multilevel marketing and turned a garage-based company with a quality product, unique packaging and distinctive labeling into a corporate giant.

Life Savers mints were a losing proposition until the company invented counter merchandising and the mints were prominently placed next to cash registers in convenience stores and restaurants.

Jeans pioneer Levi Strauss recognized the need for looser fitting, yet stylish casual pants and scored a big hit with Dockers slacks.

Other great companies have done similar innovative things. Look at Coke and all its combination of products in cans, plastic and glass bottles. Certainly no list of innovative companies would be complete without Google, Amazon or Facebook.

It's no wonder my good friend Denis Waitley says, "Innovators anticipate or create a need and fill it."

Innovations don't always come from big companies, though. I saw a study that listed 61 basic inventions, and only 16 were discovered by big companies. For example, Leo Gerstenzang thought of Q-Tips when he saw his wife trying to clean their children's ears with toothpicks and cotton balls. And Charles Strite invented the automatic toaster when a restaurant burnt his toast.

Legendary college basketball coach John Wooden changed the pace of the college basketball game by perfecting the fast break and won an unprecedented 10 NCAA championships in a 12-year period, many of which I attended. His teams made a lot of mistakes in honing their craft, but mistakes are the essence of innovation.

Innovation can be simply doing something different. For example, the National Bank of Detroit once offered its checking account customers $10 for every error they discovered. This marketing ploy in two months brought in 15,000 new accounts and more than $65 million in deposits.

Estee Lauder is credited with being the first company to offer a free gift with a purchase, helping the company grow substantially. Many companies now do this. That strategy sells an enormous amount of cosmetics.

The Hewlett-Packard Co. was famously founded in a one-car garage by William Hewlett and Dave Packard. It has become one of the world's most innovative and successful technology companies, but it's never lost sight of its founders' original vision. According to legend, these rules on innovation were posted in the garage:

-- Believe you can change the world.

-- Work quickly, keep the tools unlocked, work whenever.

-- Know when to work alone and when to work together.

-- Share -- tools, ideas. Trust your colleagues.

-- No politics. No bureaucracy. (These are ridiculous in a garage.)

-- The customer defines a job well done.

-- Radical ideas are not bad ideas.

-- Invent different ways of working.

-- Make a contribution every day. If it doesn't contribute, it doesn't leave the garage.

-- Believe that together we can do anything.

-- Invent.

Feel free to borrow these rules until you develop a set of your own. And then post them where you will see them every day. Be innovative!

Mackay's Moral: Maybe you can't change the whole world, but you can change your world.

This time of year, we often hear the greeting "Happy Holidays." Are we really happy just because the holidays are here? Or is there a way to be happy all year long?

We are as happy as we decide to be. No one can tell us to be happy. Happiness is a state of mind.

Benjamin Franklin was concluding a moving speech on the guarantees of the Constitution when a heckler shouted out, "Aw, those words don't mean anything. Where's all the happiness you say it guarantees us?" Franklin smiled and calmly silenced his critic. "My friend, the Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."

That's why my friend Wally "Famous" Amos said, "Happiness is an inside job." By the way, Wally makes lots of people happy with his cookies!

I believe we were born to be happy. The happiest people I know are not the richest or most attractive or even the best at what they do. The happiest people are those who discover that what they should be doing and what they are doing are the same things.

That's because happiness doesn't come from just doing what you like -- it's from liking what you do. True happiness lies in satisfaction, which has nothing at all to do with how much money you make or how many people report to you.

I recently received an email from a reader who wrote, "Happy people achieve better results and are typically more successful." I like to say: Make it your business to be happy and your business will be happy.

As a customer, you can surely tell the difference between a business that practices happiness and one that exists merely to make money. Businesses that are serious about succeeding find ways to make customers happy. Why do you think McDonald's sells Happy Meals? What makes Disneyland the "happiest place on earth"? Certainly, happiness hasn't hurt their bottom lines.

So where do you start on a path to happiness in business and life in general? Here are 10 commandments, inspired by "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin (Harper Collins, 2009), that might improve your outlook if you strive to follow them daily:

-- Take it easy.

-- Be yourself.

-- Handle your responsibilities.

-- Exercise understanding.

-- Face your fears.

-- Leave your worries behind.

-- Live honestly.

-- Behave positively.

-- Open your heart and mind.

-- Share your time, attention and talents with others.

There is an ancient Native American legend about a little-known tribe that was constantly at war with other tribes. They abused their religion and their families, had no morals or feelings for others and laughed at any kind of order. The violent tribe seemed doomed to wipe themselves off the face of the earth.

It troubled the old chief to see his people self-destruct, so he gathered a few of his trusted warriors and held a council to discuss how they could save their tribe from themselves. The wise chief decided the only thing to do was to take the secret of happiness and success away from those who abused it. They would hide it where no one would ever find it again, but where?

One man suggested they bury the secret of happiness and success deep in the earth. But the chief said, "No, for man will dig deep down in the earth and find it."

Another said to sink the secret into the dark depths of the deepest ocean. But again the chief replied, "No, man will learn to dive into the dark depth of the ocean and will find it."

A third thought they should take it to the top of the highest mountain and hide it there. But again the chief said, "No, man will eventually climb even the highest of mountains and find it."

Finally the old chief had the answer: "Here is what we will do with the secret of happiness and success. We will hide it deep inside of man himself, for he will never think to look for it there."

And the chief was correct. To this day, according to that old legend, people have been searching all over the earth -- digging, diving and climbing -- searching for something that they already possess within themselves.

Lucky for you, you now know the secret.

Mackay's Moral: Happiness can be thought, taught and caught -- but not bought.