Are You Doing the Whole "Resolution Thing" This Year?

I tend to look, as does most of America, with a somewhat jaded eye on New Year's Resolutions.

But Resolutions can work, and you are reading proof of that right now! I started this blog (actually I started it over on MySpace) as part of a resolution to write every day. Well I haven't kept that resolution perfectly, obviously, but if I had the same level of follow-through on a resolution to, say, workout daily, or floss, then I would definitely be reaping the benefits now.

I could have written everyday in a journal, and kept it under my mattress, but then I would very likely have not kept it up, because there would be no accountability. Even back before I had readers, the fact that my writing was going out there on the intertubes was a powerful motivator to make sure that I was writing something interesting, not just my own spewing, rambling, innermost feelings. (yeah, I know.. You get that too, sometimes)

(And Thanks again, Christina, for being the only person ever to complain when I didn't post. That meant an absolute ton to me, and I hope that, even as I have fiddled with the format of the blog, you still get a laugh out of this stuff every once in a while.)

The internet can be a wonderful tool for providing accountability. and with that in mind, I have signed up for an account on Traineo.com , where I will be recording the details of my effort to regain my college weight, or at least my college waist. The button below will update as my weight changes (or at least as I record its change. I could lie, I suppose.)

Anyway, An Idea that's been around for a while, but that I specifically encountered at flylady.net and zenhabits.net, is that of forming habits methodically, over approximately 30-day periods.

So.. I am going to make 12 resolutions this year. (I don't know what they are yet, stay tuned!) And you, my friends, family, and readers, without doing anything at all (except continuing to read this blog - stay tuned!), will be helping me along!

I would love to return the favor (of not doing anything at all?), so if you want to join me in any of these resolutions (once they are announced), then just let me know. I am sure my desires for self-improvement will overlap with yours at some point. I will throw this post open to comments now; what are some areas we can focus on improving ourselves this year? What resolutions are you making?