Two weeks have passed already and how many of your New Years resolutions are still sticking? Statistically this is about the time when good intentions are knocked to the wayside by old habits, the daily routine before the holidays has now returned and frankly, if it didn't allow room for any newness in your life before Christmas, then what's changed between then and now?

Of course, this isn't only down to routine. The simple fact that you made some resolutions showed that you wanted to improve yourself and your enjoyment of life. Or, maybe - and this is hard to admit if it's true (I know, I've done it!) - it's just because everyone else was making resolutions and you thought you better do so, too.

There's no point in pursuing a time consuming act unless you're going to receive some value, that's why all the loose New Year promises go AWOL after a fortnight. At the same time, the Interweb tells me that there are a few resolutions out there staying their course and there's a common theme presenting itself throughout all of them. 

Create your own reminder that Life is Beautiful.

Set a goal that will both satisfy and test, one that requires a new routine and new creativity. And, sometimes, new bravery. You can't carve yourself a new groove unless you have reason and, more importantly, a regular need to work at it. This is why an Escape List works.

It's a bucket list with a different name. I described the features of a good Escape list in this blog about getting out of a rut, but for all the semantics let's stop bullshitting ourselves about self improvement and a pursuit of happiness, we live in the 21st century, we are surrounded with means of storytelling whether they involve a Status Update or 140 characters, and we all want a story to tell.

So hell, if you want to knuckle down this year and make yourself a better person, why not create a story to tell at the same time to help inspire others. If you're not proud of your job then your new Escape List will make a better conversation piece. It's an ice breaker, your friends will start introducing you with the word, 'You have to speak to this guy/gal, they're doing something cool.' 

So, are you ready for some inspiration yourself?

1000Photos Let me start with one of my own, and no, it's not Expedition1000 (see how many lists I have?!). On January 1st 2011 I took a photo of my own face with a view to doing the same thing for the next 1000 days. In the early naughties I lived a fairly monotonous life and my memories from those years are few, each day drifted into the next, it's a blurry era for me. 

I wanted to create a pictorial memory bank which at some point would blend together into a video showing my face, hair, skin tone, emotions and levels of health and fatigue change over time. Significantly, the place or the people over my shoulders in each image would be an anchor for that day's memories, and the natural process of taking a photo each day keeps me grounded and focused in an otherwise non-stop world.

> Here's a bit more on 1000 Photos

Patrick Albert: 100+ Patrick joined me for a day during my Mississippi paddle in 2011 and, if I'm honest, he didn't seem all that happy. He was stuck in a dead-end job and couldn't see a way to lift the gloom, but a couple of weeks after we said goodbye he wrote and told me about 100+, his idea to take on multiple non-motorised journeys of at 100 miles. 

Pat was already a trail runner and a paddler but 100+ gave him a reason to start training again. So far he's completed three of his treks, on a skateboard, a recumbent bike and in a kayak. 2013 should see another three, all going well. I met Pat again three months ago and he's a different person now, hilariously funny and totally honest with himself. He's  raising money as he goes too. 

> Website for the 100+ Project

Film One Second Every Day This video on the BBC website shows one man's attempt to chronicle his life by filming for just one second every day. A 30 second film can sum up a month, a 6 minute film sums up a year, and so in. He started just with a year in mind but now thinks he'll do it for the rest of his life. It's easy, it's structured, it can become a new habit with a reason. Simple but magic.

> Take a look

50 Things This project is a recent favourite of mine, let it be explained by the email below that I received near Christmas. Hey Dave, saw you speak in Mpls. at the Midwest Mountaineering expo a few months ago. I was so impressed I talked to you after the show. That's something I've never done. I told you that you inspired my wife and I to attempt 50 adventures of 50 miles or more during our 50th year. In three weeks we begin! I even started a little facebook page, 50 Fifties, so people can both follow and inspire us to keep going. Thanks for everything. Now it's time to get back to my book about that guy who boarded across Australia. 

> Without further ado, here's the Fifty 50's Facebook page

365 Photos Jessica Giard was the first journalist in America to interview me about last year's Swim1000 project. The Editor of the Chamberlain Sun in South Dakota, Jess was on the scene when the team arrived and has since become a good friend. She's an adventurer at heart and also has two children, so Jess decided to chronicle 2013 with a photo of her life every day for a year. Can't wait to see the results.

> Read Jessica's blog 

Other ideas In the absence of any immediate inspiration why not do what a few others have already done this year and attach your resolution to three little words, Say Yes More. If it helps, you could even buy a t-shirt or baseball cap just to remind you, and keep a look out for more goodies as the year goes on, including small books about getting out of a rut and creating your own passion projects.

There are some brilliant Escape, Bucket and Life Lists being chased all over the world and they're inspiring, each and every one of them. Sebastian Terry's 100 Things, Nick Thorpe's 52 New Things Project & The Buried Life are just a few more examples.

Send me yours and I'll add them to the brand new Say Yes More website in the coming weeks.

Last Monday I began research for a book I'm writing about how to get out of a rut. Since then I've spoken to over 80 people via skype and phone - conversations that have spanned 50 hours - about this subject.

A few minutes ago I received the fifth message of the last two days suggesting that our simple conversation about being in a rut has made a difference. The message was loud and clear, it's time to act. 

So as not to ruin my next book I'm going to keep this short, but here are a few simple thoughts about ruts and how to get out of them:

rut

noun

a furrow or track in the ground

a fixed or established mode of procedure or course of life, usually dull or unpromising: to fall into a rut.

We've all done it. Life moves on so fast that it's hard to keep up sometimes. All of a sudden (and this sudden can take years) we find ourselves in a hole we can't get out of. It's paralysing. And understanding this is the key.  

As soon as you understand that you're in a rut and that you'd rather not be in one, you're halfway there. All you need to do now is act.  

CREATE YOUR OWN INERTIA Just start doing something different, something new. Put one proverbial foot in front of the other and start acting. When you're in a rut your normal is stillness and inaction, which is why you feel stuck. But normal is whatever you're in the habit of doing, and doing is exactly what's going to get you moving, climbing. Out of your rut.  

BACK TO BASICS This is where you have to get honest with yourself. Hold up both your hands.  

Make a change. On your left hand give each finger an aspect of your life you're not happy about, something that needs a change or some work to improve it. (ideas. location, job, negative friends, other type of peer pressure, money, bad habits, lack of ambition)  

Now for the positives. On your right hand give each finger a reason, something you want to work towards, or be, or do. Trust your instinct, your passion. Literally, if you could do anything what would that be? (ideas. different job, travel, adventure, new skill, lifestyle)  

Now you have the answers. So often we find ourselves in a rut without seeing it coming, so understanding why you're there and what you need to get yourself out of it is essential. It'll also stop you falling into the same trap again...  

Put your left and right hands together, along with all the stuff swirling around in your brain, and use that as a blueprint to moving forward. Sort out the bad stuff and pursue the good stuff. It's that simple.  

MAKE AN ESCAPE LIST You might know this as a 'bucket' list, but that suggests you have to be about to die before you start acting. Simply, start writing down things - make it a good, hearty list, at least 50 items - that you've always wanted to do. They can be in any order, and you should mix it up.  

Everything on your list should be achievable and not open-ended. You have to be able to tick it off. Some should be long-term, some you should be able to do in a day or a weekend. Some physical, some psychological (these just take a YES) to make happen, some bigger, financially related objectives (but NOT 'I want to earn a million dollars' - there's a good chance that you're in a rut because you value money too much)  

Start talking about your list. Share it, shout it from the rooftops. Make a blog so you can keep track of your memories. If you keep it all to yourself nobody else will be able to help you, and people are part of your journey!  

Here's a sprinkling from my own Escape List:

Write and publish at least one book for every year I'm alive (I have some catching up to do, catching up is fun!)

Start a clothing label

Take a photo of my own face every day for 1000 days

Persuade Nutella to sponsor me

Solve a rubix cube in under a minute

Complete 25 expeditions of 1000 miles or more

Play in a football match at Wembley

Do Stand Up Comedy

Learn Guitar

Perform own song in public

Be financially sustainable purely from book sales by the age of 37

Blog every day. It's good practice for books.  

Now, go and tick one of the little items off your list. It'll get you excited. It'll get you moving...

And, share your list with me. I might be able to help tick off an item or two. In fact, I'd love to!  

A FEW OTHER THINGS

Now you've worked out why you're in your rut and you've given yourself something to look forward to and act on, here are some other hints and tips:

If you're not passionate about it, there's no point

Making mistakes and failure are good. You learn from them. Embrace them.

Test yourself. If in doubt, go on a journey under your own steam. You can do it.

If you're in debt, get out of it. And once you've done that, don't get back in. Don't live beyond your means, and never fall into the trap of believing money will make you happy. It won't, passion will make you happy. 

Do what you love. If you don't, well...it's obvious isn't it. You won't love it.

Give yourself a purpose that means something.

Keep good, positive company. There's a difference between someone caring for you and someone beating you down. Be good company for others, too.

If you don't know why you're here, go in search of it. It won't come and find you.

Stop getting distracted. Spend no more than 20 minutes on Facebook and Twitter each day. 

If you're in a rut and want to chat about it, let me know

Want inspiration? Here's my website. I did all of this stuff because I wanted to. You may need to make a cup of tea and prepare a snack, you'll be there a while

Finally, Say Yes More. It opens up a lot of doors.  

Remember, there's a solution to everything. EVERYTHING. You are never in too deep a rut.  

Good luck! (Not that luck has anything to do with it)

> Follow Dave on Twitter

> This is Dave's Facebook page