But if you want this year to be different, we’re here to help. We’ve taken advice from local experts in four categories, and broken it down into bite-sized, manageable steps you can take to improve your life, one helpful tip at a time. The underlying philosophy of these tips is that it’s easier to change in small ways than in dramatic ones — you’re more likely to stick with a resolution than a revolution.

Face it — you can ignore just about every other thing that needs improving in your life, but you can’t ignore your health. Every single thing you do, every change you want to make, is affected by how you feel when you wake up in the morning and when you go to bed at night. The best thing about getting healthier is that there’s a nearly unlimited number of ways to tackle it, especially if you’re local. Casey Kammel, Executive Director of Executive Fitness in Naples, says Long Beach is the perfect city to live in if you’re trying to get into better shape. “I tell all my clients, my God, we live at the beach!” he says. “There’s a bike path out there, there are stairs on the bluff along Ocean Blvd. If you don’t want to swim in the bay, there’s an Olympic pool. Long Beach State has a beautiful track that’s open to the public, there’s a great nature trail at El Dorado Park — utilize what we’ve got here.”

Kammel also emphasizes the need to stick to whatever plan you make, especially when it comes to something as important as your health. “It takes ninety days to form a habit,” he says. “Look at your fitness program like you would your checkbook. You keep track of that to see what you’re spending and what you have, so you know where you are at the end of the month — write down your goals, keep a journal of your workouts.”

So, exercise more, preferably by getting out and using the resources in your community — set goals for yourself and hold yourself accountable to them. In creating a plan for yourself, Kammel adds, include activities that are fun for you. “The more enjoyable it is, the more likely you’ll keep doing it.” As you move towards a better lifestyle, Kammel offers these additional tips — small steps you can take to feel healthier on a day-to-day basis:

—Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
—Don’t eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner; break that same amount of food into five smaller meals.
—Eat the “color diet”: five different colors of fruits and vegetables a day.
—Stick to your exercise plan, preferably using one of the locations mentioned above, or another local resource. “Get outside,” says Kammel. “How many days in California can you not go outside to do something?”

You can have all the good intentions in the world for 2010, but if you can’t keep up with your finances, you’re likely to spend the year playing catch-up with your budget. A problem with making financial plans — as with all other plans — is that even if you really try hard and focus on your finances, you can end up tripping yourself up by being too rigid.

“Life can be uncertain,” says Rocky Suares, Managing Director of the Suares Investment Group of Wells Fargo Advisors. “Especially in regard to managing your personal financial affairs. Traditional planning can create an illusion of stability. But nothing happens every year as predicted.”

In order to shield yourself against the unexpected expenses of the year — while still crafting a plan to build capital for the future

— Suares offers the following advice:
—Establish a cash reserve to cover three to six months’ living expenses.
—Don’t spend more than 35% of your income to pay off debt (including mortgage or rent).
—Obtain adequate life insurance: generally eight to ten times your annual family income. Once you’ve taken those steps, it’s time to formulate a plan — and, like Kammel, Suares says sticking to that plan in a disciplined way is important.
—Establish the right mindset; are you planning for short-term or long-term investment income?
—Take inventory of your personal finances. Ask yourself, “How much do I feel comfortable putting away regularly, in good times and bad?” When you determine that amount, plan on sticking with it over time.
—Identify your risk tolerance. Every investment moves up and down in price. Knowing your tolerance for risk also narrows down the many investment opportunities available to you. There’s no such thing as avoiding risk; your only choice is which risks to take.

Above all, be flexible, be reasonable, and be disciplined. Says Suares, “There’s no substitute for common sense, a realistic and comprehensive plan that accommodates uncertainty, and sound financial advice from someone you can trust.”

After all that time you’re spending exercising and getting your money straight, you’re going to need some time to relax. The last thing you want is to get home and have the stress of the day wash back over you in the form of cleaning, tripping over dirty clothes, and trying to find the book you’re reading under piles of clutter. Your home is supposed to be a place of peace and quietude (unless you’ve resolved to have friends over more, of course), so you want to make sure everything is in order. That way, once you get home, you’re home.

There are a number of companies in the area that aim to help you with getting your house in order, including Bixby Knolls-based Breathing Space Organizing, who will walk you through the steps to working with a professional organizer. Their website also has a contact form where you can submit your email address to receive their free monthly “tips” newsletter. One suggestion from the company is to not merely throw things away when you’re trying to de-clutter.

“If you are ready to part with some of your possessions, donating them is a wonderful way to share your ‘treasures,’” they suggest. “Start by considering the needs of your local community. Is there a senior facility, church, shelter, school, community center, hospital, library, thrift shop, or local charity that could use your possessions?”

If you’re looking for a more do-it-yourself approach to getting your house in order, there are a number of great websites online to help, including the very comprehensive goodhousekeeping.com, which offers advice on every aspect of cleaning and organizing, from speed-cleaning before a party to a stain encyclopedia. They even have a Q&A that’s updated frequently, and an organizing podcast.

Your health is important; your money is essential; your peace of mind at home is great — but without your spirit, without your sense of self, none of it means anything. “This is the time of the year when we long for meaning,” says Gerald Arata of the Long Beach H.O.P.E. Project, and an Associate Pastor of Long Beach’s Grace First Presbyterian Church. The Long Beach H.O.P.E. Project is an organization that provides meals and worship space for the homeless and the poor in downtown Long Beach. “We want something that will last, and to know that our lives mean something — that we’ve had an impact on those around us.”

The way Arata and the college-age volunteers who make the H.O.P.E. Project run have found that meaning is through reaching out to those less fortunate. But Arata says reaching out can be a way of improving your life, as well. “Volunteerism at its best addresses the mutual neediness that is experienced by all. As we serve those who are in need, we soon discover that our deep longings and needs are being nurtured.”

There are dozens of ways to get involved through volunteering in Long Beach — aside from the many homeless outreach programs and beach clean-ups you may already be aware of, you can do great things in your community by volunteering an hour of your time to your local school, senior center, or library. Long Beach Memorial Hospital has a well-rounded volunteer program that gives you plenty of choices if you’re interested in helping (their website says volunteers can assist with “nursing units, the business office, medical records, pediatrics, surgery and the nursery”). The Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership has a long list of volunteer opportunities under the “Resources” section of their website, bnp.org.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter what you do to help — it’s making the decision to help at all, and having the commitment to follow through with it that can help you be a better you — and help Long Beach become a better community — in 2010. “Test yourself,” says Arata. “Stretch your ability to care for others.”