Resolution brainstorming

Tis the season to start dwelling on the things we could have done better last year, and the things we will change in the next. I have been thinking about my past resolutions for a couple of days now. Some of them succeeded, some did not.

The notable stand outs were quitting smoking in 2003, finishing a triathlon in 2006, and losing a bunch of weight last year. The thing they both had in common was that I had support for them.

For quitting smoking I used Quitnet. Which I have bragged about before. I logged in today and learned, since my quit date (January 22, 2003) and based on the number of cigarettes I smoked before I quit (at 2003 prices):

Time Smoke-Free: 2169 days, 3 hours, 8 minutes and 16 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 43383
Lifetime Saved: 11 months, 1 day, 9 hours
Money Saved: $8,350.65

I joined a training group with two good friends of mine to finish the tri, and three years and a total of 6 triathlons later, I have to definitely count that one a success.

To lose the weight, I joined Weight Watchers. It seemed so cheesy and dorky at first. Not that I am so cool or anything, there is just something embarrassing about saying it. Remember how it used to be when you said you bought a piece of clothing from Target? You could tell some people but not others? Anyway... I digress. The point is, that WW helped me lose 40 lbs last year, and I only have about 20 to go. So I am glad I did.

So, for me the answer is accountability and community. I have been thinking about a "resolution buddy" idea. Just like a secret pal or workout partner, this person would know what my resolutions are and why, and remind me from time to time. Or be an ear if they aren't going well, or a megaphone to help shout out my successes. Is this a crazy idea?

I have also decided to create 12 resolutions, one for each month of next year. That way, I can take things in smaller chunks. And like Project Spectrum, or Sock of the Month clubs, it will keep things fresh and moving forward.

If you care to join me, give a mention in the comments. Maybe we can create some resolution-buddies and some goals for the year together. If anyone else wants to try the goal-a-month, maybe we could swap buddies each month?

Here's my list (so far):
January - Submit 3 essays to lit mags/writing contests
February - Major Purge (this includes a garage sale or two, and donating the rest)
March - Those last 20 lbs
April - Move to NYC
May - Take GRE for grad school application
June - Summer Spanish class
July - Summer dance class
August - Roadtrip
September - Holiday knitting!
October - Cut debt by half or more (less than 5000 owed)
November - Write 5 handwritten letters to friends
December - Apply to grad school