On the first of every January, millions of people make a New Year’s resolution. According to USA.gov, the three most popular resolutions are lose weight, manage debt, and save money. However, some clever and creative individuals have moved beyond these typical resolutions to plan something out-of-the-box for 2010.

Greg Surber, a 26-year-old from Richmond, VA, has a year-long plan called Recommended Daily. His resolution is to do all the things that people should do for their health but usually ignore: get thirty minutes of exercise daily and follow the USDA’s food guide pyramid, for example.

After reading about people like Julie Powell, of Julie and Julia fame, who tackled huge, year-long projects, Surber was inspired. He decided that, instead of doing something outlandish, he’d start by trying to fit in the everyday activities that was supposed to doing anyway.

He’s focusing on four areas of self-improvement: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Some physical health activities he has planned include drinking eight glasses of water and flossing each day. Emotionally, he plans to make one person smile on a daily basis. To improve his mental health, he’ll complete a daily puzzle. Spiritually, Surber will spend 30 minutes each day praying and reflecting.

What makes him the most nervous? He’s not sure he can fulfill his recommended daily calorie intake. Says Surber, “I am looking forward to having a genuine reason why I should get the extra leftovers.”

In addition, Surber plans to launch a blog, where he will keep track of his progress. “I’m hoping the excitement of chronicling my experiences will help me maintain the momentum.”

Throughout the year, he’ll monitor benchmarks, like body mass index and mile running time, to see the impact of the project on his body. His family and friends are supportive of the plan, and his wife is proud of his ambition.

Erin Motzenbecker, 22, of Tampa, FL, also has a year-long resolution. She plans to do 100 new things in 2010. Says Motzenbecker, “I’m hoping to find a little insight into who I am as well as inspire others to get out of their routines and do something new for a change, however big or small.”

Of all the activities she has planned, Motzenbecker most looks forward to pole dancing lessons. She describes herself as reserved and hopes the lessons will help her become more outgoing and self-confident. She’s most anxious about flying in a tiny stunt plane because she’s afraid of jets. She also plans to get acupuncture and cook a live lobster, among dozens of other things.

Despite everything she has planned, Motzenbecker will “wing” most of the learning process, explaining that, “the spontaneity is part of the ride.”

Like Surber, Motzenbecker will chronicle her progress on a blog. The resolution gives her the opportunity to write, which will be an incentive for her to do it more often, as she loves to write. Motzenbecker also has the enthusiasm of her friends to back her up. “Company always makes these things so much more amusing,” she says.

Making an ambitious resolution is admirable, but how can a person maintain it? According to a survey done by Franklin Covey, 35% of people break their resolutions by the end of January.

That makes Amber Logue’s and Joe Piehl’s stories admirable. They made vastly different resolutions, but they kept them for a whole year.

When she was 21, Logue (now 24) of Las Vegas, NV, lived the whole year according to the life philosophy of The Secret. Based on the theory of the laws of attraction, followers of The Secret believe that what you envision for yourself is what you get out of life. Among other things, Logue strived to become an assistant manager at her job. In nine months, she was promoted to manager.

For other people looking to accomplish their resolutions, Logue advises, “Find someone to do it with you, or to give you the encouragement you may need.” She partnered with her friend Kristin to live The Secret. They shared lists of their intentions, swapped encouraging messages and celebrated whenever one of them achieved a goal, no matter how small.

Logue adds, “Be mentally ready to achieve your goal.” She believes she was successful with her intentions only because she was ready to do what was necessary to achieve them. She focused her energy on the three factors of The Secret - ask, believe, receive - and achieved her life list.

In 2009, Piehl, 24, of Chicago, IL, resolved to cook one homemade meal a week. He saw a contrast between the full meals he’d eaten growing up and his current situation of frozen meals and rummaging through the fridge. He decided that he wanted to make the effort to cook and eat more completely.

Piehl’s friends and co-workers encouraged him, asking about his dish of the week, and forwarding recipes to him. Typically, he shopped and cooked on Sundays. The experiment also provided him with leftovers for the next few days.

If others are interested in the same resolution, Piehl advises them to tell their family and friends. He says, “Everybody loves a home cooked meal, and nothing will motivate you more than if the people closest to you are asking about your latest attempt in the kitchen.” He hosted dinner parties to practice his skills and show off his favorite new dishes.

These creative people prove that New Year’s resolutions don’t need to be boring and that it’s possible to stick with them for the whole year. Hopefully, they’ve encouraged more people to try a quirky resolution.