New Year's Suggestions

For the past 10 years, my friend Holly and I have celebrated New Years in our own quirky way...through annual letters. Each January, we each write ourselves a letter about our hopes, ideas and suggestions for the upcoming year. I hold onto Holly's letter for her and she keeps mine. On New Years Eve, after midnight, we exchange the letters. Over the course of a year, I forget what was written in my letter and it's always a surprise and usually a good laugh. The best part is realizing how I have changed and grown. I just finished writing my 2009 letter which will be handed over to Holly at the end of January when she is back in Calgary.

Another way, I celebrate the New Year is through a list of "suggestions" (rather than resolutions). I use this terminology because I feel that resolutions are harder to keep. Most people only have 1 or 2 resolutions and if they fail, they are left with a 0% success rate. In 2007, I set out 42 "suggestions" for myself and throughout the year, I achieved 13 of them (a 31% success rate). My suggestions range in complexity from renewing my library card to finding the love of my life to travelling to New York so achieving some of them are easier than others. Because they are merely suggestions, I was not discouraged that the other 29 items on the list weren't achieved - I just add them to my suggestions for 2008.

For 2008, Holly and I are trying something else. We are coming up with 3 goals for the other person. She suggested it on New Year's Eve after reading our letters. I loved the idea but it is scary that a friend will be choosing goals for the upcoming year. I have come up with 2 out of 3 goals for her. Should be interesting.

Speaking of goals, has anyone heard of the 101 things in 1001 days goal setting project? Different from a life-to-do list, this gives you a concrete time frame to complete your list. From a voyeuristic sense, reading another's list gives you a glimpse into their personality as each list is different. As a life-long list maker, this project intrigues me...stay tuned. I may decide to put my list on my blog...let's see, 1001 days from now would be Sunday, October 3rd, 2010. hmmmmm!

Here's to 2008...I look forward to the upcoming year with extravagant hope as I have a firmly rooted belief that the best is yet to come.