And another year has passed into the past.

Where did 2010 go?

I'm not usually one for resolutions. What's the point? In general, people get all hyped up about them and then "conveniently" break them all before the first week of January is even out. So what, then, is the point of them anyhow?

After much deliberation (okay, I'll be honest, I really didn't think about this too long...), I decided that I would like to attempt the resolution thing, but with a spin. Last year was the first year I did it, and I thought that I'd share my method. I wrote down resolutions on a piece of paper, put it in an envelope, sealed it, signed and dated the envelope, and then handed it to my husband. Then, a year later, on Dec. 31st, he opened the envelope, read my resolutions, and told me whether or not he thought I actually completed my goals.

In a way, this method is like a mini time capsule. There are a few rules that come with this approach. Although I feel they are fairly obvious, I will state them anyway:

1. You can write any resolution(s) you want. Just be sure that you are comfortable with whomever you hand it to (a.k.a. the ultimate judge of your resolutions at the end of the year). It might be nice if they're comfortable with you too... Remember, they will be reading whatever you write/wrote. It is important to pick somebody who you don't want to disappoint--someone who will hold you accountable in the end, whether it's a significant other, friend, mother, father, sister, brother, etc. (Recipients: it'd be a really good idea to not lose the envelopes during the course of the year...)

2. Try not to share your resolution(s). Once you've written them down, seal the envelope and put your name and the year on it. For the entire year, you will know what your resolutions are and you will also know that at the end of the year somebody will be telling you whether or not you did them. It's holding you, the resolution-maker, to a higher standard.

3. Be serious. Don't be serious. Have fun with it. Challenge yourself. In the end, they are your resolutions: do with them what you will.

You may think this is silly. I don't care. For me, it actually helped. I wouldn't have made resolutions otherwise; plus, I probably wouldn't have completed them. And for those of you who wondered, one of my resolutions was to do NaNoWriMo and complete it. I'd like to say that I would have done it regardless, but I'm not so sure. However, the thought that David was going to read my resolutions at the end of the year really spurred me on. There was no way I was going to have him shake his head and say that I didn't do it! I did NaNoWriMo for me, first and foremost, but it certainly helped having that hidden resolution because I knew that he would be proud of me and that just made it all the more worthwhile.

The other nice thing is that you have a little cheerleader throughout the year. Every now and then, starting in about March, I would gently remind the people who'd trusted me with their resolutions by saying something like, "Don't forget about your resolutions!" or "There's still time! Whatever it is, you can do it!"

Again, resolutions aren't for everyone. This method isn't for everyone. I'm just sharing something that worked for me and that can be a bit of fun as well. :)

In any case, Happy New Year to you all! Cheers to a prosperous, happy, and wonderful 2011!

(Maybe this year won't disappear quite as quickly as last year...)