Guest Author - Megan Romer

According to the website MyGoals.com, the top 9 New Year's Resolutions that people make fall into the following categories:

Health and Fitness = 26%
Career = 13%
Time Management and Organization = 13%
Personal Growth and Interests = 12%
Personal Finance = 12%
Family and Relationships = 8%
Education and Training = 8%
Home Improvement and Real Estate = 4%
Recreation and Leisure = 4%

The two most popular New Year's Resolutions are to lose weight and to pay off debt.

So where do board games fit in? Well, in nearly all of these categories, playing a board game with your family can help you to keep your New Year's Resolution. Here are some tips for how to use board games to meet your resolutions:

If your resolution involves HEALTH AND FITNESS, and you'd like to find more ways to be active and to help your whole family be active, you might be having some trouble right about now. It's tough to exercise outside in a wintry climate, and couch potato-itis can set in, despite all of your best efforts otherwise. So why not turn off the television and play an active game? Twister is an old favorite, and the whole family can get in on it. Or try the independently manufactured game Healthy Habits (see my article here and visit the Healthy Habits homepage here).

If your resolution involves PERSONAL FINANCE or PAYING OFF DEBT, you're probably looking for ways to save some money. Instead of taking the family out to the movies (at $8 a pop plus a couple of buckets of popcorn and some sodas, a family of four can easily spend upwards of $50 at the theater), try a new board game! Board games are generally quite reasonably priced (usually between $15 and $30) and you can play them over and over again, and a family game night can provide hours of entertainment on a weekly (or even more frequent!) basis. For a super money-saver, buy a deck of cards and a card game book (those things together will likely cost you less than $10) and you're set for months!

Family game nights can also help with resolutions involving RELATIONSHIPS and FAMILY TOGETHERNESS, obviously. Games are singularly the most interactive form of indoor entertainment. They provide a great "ice-breaker" for families who have drifted into their own separate lives and need a little help spending time together, and they provide diversion for families who already spend lots of time together. Try a variety game like Quelf or Cranium; these games work well for players of all ages and are a total laugh riot.

If your New Year's Resolution involves LEARNING ABOUT SOMETHING NEW, it's entirely possible that there's a board game out there that can help you. If you're looking to improve your vocabulary or spelling skills, try a word game. If you're looking to improve your math skills, try a game that involves money, like Monopoly (or any of the fun offshoots thereof) or the even trickier Patential. If you want to improve public speaking skills, try Debate This. The list goes on and on.

If your New Year's Resolution involves TRYING NEW THINGS, why not give a new game a try? Join the millions of people who have become dedicated fans of European board games (such as The Settlers of Catan). Because these games are more involved and a bit trickier than most American board games, they can be daunting at first. However, now is the perfect time to be brave and give them a try... they're really quite fun! Or you could be traditional: if you've never tried a classic game like Chess or Backgammon, now would be a great time to learn!

If your New Year's Resolution involves MEETING NEW PEOPLE, a great place to start is by joining or attending the meeting of a board gaming club. The vast majority of these are open to the public, and they can be a relaxed and fun way to expand your social circle. See my list of board gaming clubs here; if your city or region is not listed, let me know and I'd be happy to help you find a club.

The trickiest thing about New Year's Resolutions is that for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the New Year starts in the dead doldrums of winter, the time when it's most challenging to keep many of them. Why not see if a great board game can help you meet yours?