By Evan Burrell, a member of the Rotary Club of Turramurra, New South Wales, Australia, and a regular contributor to this blog

It’s another new Rotary year, and with it come more decisions, responsibilities, and — more important — some inspiration.

A new Rotary year is a great time to make a fresh start. So how do you get off to a good start? That’s a question many Rotary members ask themselves when 1 July rolls around. Some dive straight in and make a big SPLASH! Others ease into it a little more gently.

If you can identify with some of these New Year’s resolutions, you should be good to go for 2015-16.

Keeping your club in shape

People often make New Year’s resolutions to live a better life. They might want to eat more healthfully or exercise more often to shed a few extra pounds.

You can make resolutions for your club for the same reason — to help it stay in tip-top shape for the coming year.

So ask yourself some important questions. Has your club grown? How did your fundraising efforts compare with those of the previous year? Is your club PR getting better? Are you meeting your club goals in Rotary Club Central ?

A little bit of club exercise could make all the difference between a successful club and a sluggish one.

Re-engage

Since your club thrives on the engagement of your members, it makes good sense to look at your projects and meeting structure and see where you can make some improvements.

Set some new goals to re-engage with your fellow members and the community.

Find out if your fellow members are happy with the club and its direction. Assess your club traditions: Are they a benefit to the club?

Make some personal resolutions, like bringing a friend to every meeting or telling more people about Rotary. The people you ask could make great new members, so tell the people you work with, the people you socialize with — even your family — that your Rotary club is a great organization.

Mentor a new member. Do you remember your first few club meetings? Were they confusing? The new Rotary year could be your chance to help a new member get past that confusion and discover what Rotary, and your club, is all about.

The important thing to remember for this new Rotary year is to choose your resolutions, set some goals and a schedule for accomplishing them, and then make them happen!

Happy New Rotary Year!