One's a hope, and one's a plan.
A goal might be to lose weight, get in shape, eat healthier, love better, get a promotion, higher grades in school, etc. Those are things you truly hope you'll do in 2012.
That'd be the plan that'll actually get you there. So your resolution might be to pack your lunches every day to work, to go for a 20min walk on your treadmill every morning before you shower, to tell you wife or husband you love them on an at least weekly basis and create a standing date night, to ensure you never leave work without having cleared out your inbox, that every weekend you dedicate at least 4 hours to library based study.
If you actually want to reach a goal, well then you'd better also figure out exactly how you're going to get there. So for instance don't just renew your gym membership, schedule workout times into your real agenda and treat yourself like your most important client.
This year, resolve to actually have plans, and not simply hopes.
Happy New Year one and all!