New Year's Resolution of Kindness

Happy New Year! and Welcome to 2016!

How many of you make a New Year’s Resolution? I’m guessing there is a large show of hands. And of course you have every intention of keeping them. I can tell you the first week of the New Year and sometimes even the first month is packed at the gym. But then it dwindles.

The dreaded New Year’s Resolution.

How many of you keep your New Year’s Resolutions? I’ll bet there are a lot less hands in the air. Or maybe you keep some but not others. Hey, some is better than none, right?

Me? I like New Year’s Resolutions for the opportunity to take on a challenge. Do I stick with them? Yes. Why? A resolution to me means growth, personal growth.

Each year I like to learn or try something new, something to take me out of my comfort zone and expose me to new people and new adventures.

This year I’m doing something different. This year it’s not just about my own personal growth, it’s about giving back, paying it forward. It’s about random acts of kindness. It's a New Year's Resolution of Kindness!

Yes, this year my plan is to do at least one random act of kindness a week. That’s 52 random acts of kindness in 2016. If you are afraid you can’t do it every week then pick one month and do one random act each day of that month.

On my birthday I will perform one random act of kindness for each year in my age. Nope, do not ask. I will not tell you my age. Let’s just say it will be a very busy day giving.

I would love for this idea to spread and see more of you do this so please pass the word and let’s make 2016 a year of giving.

Below is a list of some ideas to help you get started. Please share your own ideas or acts of kindness.

 Ideas for Random Acts of Kindness:

1. Start a piggy bank for a cause
2. Leave a copy of an interesting book on a train, bus, or in a coffee shop
3. Pay for the drinks on the next table at a café or restaurant
4. Call a grandparent
5. Thank a police officer or firefighter
6. Share your umbrella
7. Pick up groceries for a neighbor
8. Bring co-workers a special treat
9. Help someone load groceries into vehicle
10. Bring flowers to someone
11. Pay the toll for the car behind you
12. Leave a generous tip for a server
13. Help someone with yard work
14. Thank a volunteer
15. Adopt a soldier: http://www.adoptaussoldier.org/
16. Adopt a platoon: http://adoptaplatoon.org/site/
17. Read to the elderly or a child
18. Return a shopping cart
19. Volunteer at a food bank
20. Leave change in a vending machine or parking meter
21. Use your vacation days
22. Hold the door open for someone
23. Let the person behind you go ahead of you in line
24. Donate clothing
25. Leave quarters at the laundromat
26. Buy a lottery ticket for someone else
27. Buy a cup of coffee for the person in line behind you
28. Write a thank you note to a co-worker
29. Give up your seat for a stranger
30. Say “please” and “thank you” … a lot
31. Send a gift anonymously
32. Compliment a waiter/waitress/server
33. Give another driver your parking spot
34. Give a landscaper a bottle of water
35. Treat a friend to the movies
36. Pick up rubbish in the road and put in a trash receptacle
37. Tell your family how much you appreciate them
38. Leave warm clothing on a bench with a note letting the finder know that it’s theirs to use or giveaway
39. Donate to your favorite charity or donate to my site for Team RWB, which supports our Veterans.   Denise's Team RWB donation site
40. Tweet a compliment about a vendor
41. Put your cell phone away
42. Give chocolate…generously and often
43. Stop to have a conversation with a homeless person
44. Write a positive review for a book or a product
45. Adopt a rescue pet
46. Leave a bag of microwave popcorn at your local Red Box movie rental stop
47. Listen to the person sitting across the table from you
48. Donate a race entry fee to the next random person
49. Plant a tree or flower
50. Make two lunches and give one away
51. Give directions to someone lost
52. Donate canned goods to a food shelter or at your local grocery store
53. Buy lemonade from a kid’s lemonade stand
54. Leave a nice comment on a blog
55. Wash your neighbor’s car
56. Keep a pen on hand – lend it to people when needed
57. Call your mom
58. Give someone a hug
59. Smile. . .a lot

 

 

New Year, New Goals

The New Year has arrived! 2014 will be a better year, or will it?

How do you plan to make 2014 a great year? Do you make resolutions? Or do you let the year bring what it may without outlining any personal goals?

I am a firm believer in resolutions. Not because someone will hold my feet to the fire if I don’t accomplish them but because it helps me keep my eye on the prize.

Do you set your resolutions on January 1 and then not check them until the end of the year when it’s too late or do you set timeline goals for each resolution?

I do both. I give myself timelines within the year that I should accomplish them, but am flexible enough that I don’t berate myself if I don’t complete something by a certain date.

What are your New Year resolutions? Are they purely personal, purely professional, or all of the above?

Mine are purely personal.

Do you share your resolutions?

I believe that if you share your New Year goals with others then you’ve cemented the deal and you push yourself to make them happen. That doesn’t mean I share all of them. There’s usually one very personal one that I keep to myself.

The best part of setting goals or resolutions, at least for me, is the chasing down of those dreams. It wouldn’t be any fun if it was just dropped on your lap. It takes heart and soul, sweat and tears to imagine a goal, set it, and achieve it.

What if you don’t achieve your goals? Do you kick yourself? Curl up in a corner and whine about it?

I tend to say as long as I tried then that’s all that counts. If I fall a little short then I pat myself on the back and determine if I need to adjust the goal. Is it more important to lose ten pounds or be able to run a 5K the entire time?

What are your resolutions for 2014?

I have a couple of running and health related goals this year. Okay, more than a couple.

My first goal is to run my first ultra marathon, a 50K. That’s 31 miles! I’ve already picked the race. It’s the Lake Waramaug Ultra in Connecticut on April 27. My only goal is to finish the race with a smile on my face.

I love running but I’m not exactly fast. My other running related resolution is to improve my half-marathon time to 2 hours 30 minutes. Last year I improved my half marathon time by more than twenty minutes. Yea me! So I’m only asking for another 10 minute improvement. Wish me luck!

Since we are talking time improvement, I might as well say that means I am also hoping to improve my marathon performance. Last year my goal was to run one marathon (the Marine Corps Marathon) and just finish. I did! I actually ran two marathons and I did improve between the two races so that was good, but now let’s see if I can do better when I run 4 marathons.

While I am at it, I want to run 2014 miles in 2014! Ha. Come on! Join me in the insanity.
For a more well-rounded health goal, I hope to lose 10% body fat. GASP! I just put that in black and writing for the world to see. I can feel my toes burning from having my feet held to the fire.

I want to improve my core. As part of this, I am pledging to do a 60-second or longer plank every day of 2014 and 20 body-weight squats. Now, this will be the hard part!

An easy resolution for me is to read 52 books, at least one a week. Since I’m an avid reader this is a fun goal and usually easily attainable. If this is one of your New Year resolutions, a good way to achieve this goal is to participate in read-a-thon’s. I really like the way the Dewey Read-a-thon is run and if possible, I participate in the 24-hr read-a-thon twice a year. Check out the Dewey Read-a-thon website at http://24hourreadathon.com/.

There is one more resolution on my list, but that one I am holding close to the vest. [WINK]

Hope you share your resolutions or goals and have fun achieving them in 2014.

Now, I'm off to work on these goals. Got my first race of the new year in a couple of hours. Okay, it's only a mile race, but it's with a friend and that time with a friend is more precious than any resolution.

Happy New Year! May it be the best!

A New Year approaches...what did you do in 2012?

As 2012 comes to a close and 2013 lurks on the horizon, what are you thinking about? Are you reflecting on your accomplishments in 2012? Are you thinking about what 2013 is going to bring? Will the New Year come in slow and steady or with bang?

What did you do in 2012 that you set your sights on accomplishing? What was on your list of goals for 2012 that you did not do? Will you carry it over to 2013? What are your goals for 2013?

Me? One of my biggest accomplishments was running a half-marathon in Ireland. Last January a friend of mine suggested I could do it and I thought he was whacked. He is, but that’s a different story. Anyway, he challenged me to do it and even sent me a link to a race in Ireland. As soon as I saw that link and that the race was in one of my favorite places, I signed up. I not only ran the half marathon in Dingle, Ireland, but I ran several other half marathons in 2012. Of course, while I was in Ireland, I went to my favorite town, Kenmare for ten gorgeous days.

On a more personal note, I went to a movie for the first time in over five years. This is a huge accomplishment for me as the fear factor was great…but I conquered it with two days to go.

As for my writing, my goal every year is to finish one new novel. I did! I finished AT FACE VALUE, which L&L Dreamspell will release in 2013. That’s a good start to a new year!

I also read many, many books! I participated in both Dewey Read-a-thons. I even entered the e-book era by buying a Kindle. Love it!