Are you already making New Year’s Eve plans? That’s cute. But in thinking about what you hope the next year brings, start thinking now about what you want to happen financially over the next 12 months.

Set your goals. Imagine your life at the end of 2010. What do you want to be different and why? If you don’t know where to start, create a list of the top five financial unknowns that are keeping you awake at night. Step by step, what do you need to change about your habits, and are you ready to do it? You may decide it’s time talk it out, with your best bud or partner or financial adviser.

Ramp up savings. The last couple of years have been tough. You likely need no convincing about the need for an emergency fund. To be safe, aim to stash at least six months of expenses in a readily accessible account. That money should be in a money market, regular savings or perhaps a CD, suggests Anthony Diaz, Vice President of investments at IFC Advisory. “Once you’re experiencing your financial emergency, it’s too late to plan for it, so plan ahead,” advises Jordan Amin, chair of the American Institute for Certified Public Accountants Financial Literacy Commission.

Make saving a part of your daily routine. Small sustainable changes get results. Start with one or two things you can cut: your Wednesday muffin, your daily second shot of mochaccino, your dog’s weekly yoga class.

Don’t lose what you have. Treat your existing credit lines with care, says Gail Cunningham, a spokesperson for the National  Foundation for Credit Counseling. Paying your bills on time is the highest weighted element in your credit scoring model, so make sure you’re doing that. Set up automatic bill payment to make it easy on yourself.

Go to Roth (not David Lee). Taxpayers who convert in 2010 from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA may recognize gains of 100 percent. Converting to a Roth IRA, also allows you to pay 50% of the tax liability on gains in 2011 and pay 50% of the tax liability in 2011. “It’s not to ROTH or not to ROTH, but how much of a traditional IRA should be considered for conversion,” says Bryan Hopkins, a certified financial planner with Hopkins Wealth Management Group.

Count shares, not dollars. Next year, take the emotion out of investing. Count shares, not dollars. “Our understanding about investing and finance is generally skewed by an important fundamental misconception,” explains Nicholas Yrizarry, founder of Nicholas Yrizarry & Associates.  “You should be counting the amount of shares you own, and how many you are accumulating. The dollar value is only relevant when you are actually selling the shares and spending the money from the investment,” he adds.

The dollar value of what you spend on mochaccino, on the other hand, matters a great deal. Especially when you turn to that New Year’s resolution about losing weight.