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Inside Out

Resolve To Do It For Someone Else

Jeanne Sager
Posted 12/31/24

Raise your hand if you gave up making new year’s resolutions because you knew you’d just end up breaking them.  

If you’re reading this in the diner or the gas station, …

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Inside Out

Resolve To Do It For Someone Else

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Raise your hand if you gave up making new year’s resolutions because you knew you’d just end up breaking them. 

If you’re reading this in the diner or the gas station, it’s Ok. Just pretend you had to scratch your ear. No one will know the difference. 

And trust me, you’re not alone. 

Exercising more. Drinking less. Making more lunches at home. Picking up a new hobby. 

Most of us have declared them and dropped them like hot potatoes weeks — or even days — into the various new years. 

As a member of the failed resolution club, I propose a new approach to my fellow club members. 

 Instead of making the same old resolutions about bettering ourselves, what if we all made the promise to do something for our community? Perhaps focusing outward will make it easier to actually stay on task, and the results will be something we know will help someone. 

Because they say the best goals are the ones that are SMART, aka Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound, here are a few SMART ideas to get you started. 

1. Open your new calendar, and make a note on the 1st day of each month reminding yourself to sit down to write a positive review for a local business on their Facebook page or Google Business profile. 

2. Send an email on January 1 to one local charity and let them know you have X number of days available this year to volunteer. How can you be most helpful? 

3. Put a trash bag and some kitchen or work gloves in the back of your car this Wednesday. When you’re out and about and spot abandoned trash, pick it up. When the bag is full (or starting to stink), throw it in your garbage bin to be hauled away. 

4. Take a look at your bookshelves this weekend, and choose 5 or more quality books that could use a new home. Visit LittleFreeLibrary.org to find the closest Little Free Library (they’re scattered from Hortonville to Hurleyville and everywhere in between), and make a plan to add your books to the offerings. 

Maybe we won’t get it all done this year. Then again, maybe we will. 

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