“You say you want a resolution, well, you know, we all want to change the world.” — John Lennon

Oh, sorry, wrong world. Err, word.

New Year’s resolutions aren’t about changing the world, they are about changing ourselves, right? But, in some small way, doesn’t that change the world, too? Maybe that’s why it’s important to take New Year’s resolutions seriously. It is a time of year where millions of people resolve to do things to change themselves; some of them come true. If even some of those resolutions come to pass, it means a slight change in the world as a whole. The good news is that resolutions are generally devoted to positive changes, so that means this is a time of year where, if we take our resolutions seriously, we can make positive changes in ourselves, thereby bettering the world.

Sound a little far-fetched? Maybe so, but I’m a firm believer that the more good is out there, the better off we are. Any constructive change in ourselves will reflect outward to other people, hopefully reinforcing others’ constructive self-images. Often, one person’s success at keeping a resolution can become contagious, helping others to do the same.

I would like to create an anonymous list, to be posted on this website, of others’ resolutions. Perhaps we could check back later in the year, say every three months, and see what percentage of resolutions have been kept. Again, these will be anonymous, and any resolutions submitted can be vague to protect identities.

To get the ball rolling, I will list the resolutions that I intend to work on over the next year, not specifically in any order. (As I said, your submissions may be less specific than these. Also, all submissions will be held in strict confidence.) (Note 10/6/2014: This never happened.)

Stace’s New Year’s Resolutions

• Spend more time with my son and stepson in constructive activities
• Save at least $100 per month, no matter what
• Start Christmas shopping early — like July!
• Submit at least three short stories for publication
• Learn more songs on guitar and perform publicly more often
• Take (and pass) some MCSE classes
• Ride my bike more and drop at least 30 pounds
• Finish my Bachelor’s Degree in English
• Volunteer time to Colorado Recording for the Blind
• Volunteer time to Colorado Department of Education as a Knowledge Bowl reader
• Make a dent in my Student Loan and other important debts
• Continue to keep up with this website and learn more about advanced HTML features.

Hmmmm, doesn’t sound too tough. (cough!) Some of these will be easy, but they represent increases in time and money spent (or saved, as the case may be) for me, both of which are fairly rare commodities in my life. It will take work. Perhaps knowing that other people are trying to make difficult resolutions come to pass also will help me meet mine, and vice versa. I’m excited to see what kind of resolution bulletin board we can generate!

Remember, if you are celebrating this New Year’s Eve, please be safe. If you are drinking alcohol, know your limits and have a driver available if you have had too much.