Resolutions and a New Year

At the end of each year, I come up with the ridiculous resolution that I want to keep for the new year. I will always pick something very hard, and way over the top, expecting to do it, but dramatically failing in the second week.

This year, the same thing might happen, and just like every year, I am going to try my hardest. But unlike every year, I am not going to give up when it gets too hard. I have made the wise decision to not give things up as much as I have tried in the past. About five years ago, I decided to give up soda. I've never been much of a soda drinker, so it really wasn't that hard. I haven't had an soda since. It isn't even a temptation to me anymore, so I know that I need to add something to give me something to actually work for.

Instead of picking something to give up for the whole year, I am choosing things to give up for a month at a time. I guess you could all it "mini resolutions." Each month I will either add to whatever I have been giving up, or pick something different, depending on how hard of a challenge it is for me.

I debated a few different things to give up, but I think I finally have a good idea, at least for the first few months of the year.

January-No Sweets, and nothing to drink but water. I know that I have a hard time with both of these, but especially the second one. Since I don't drink soda, I always grab the juice. And although fruit juice isn't bad, it is filled with sugar. For one month, I am going to drink nothing but water. My mom was a little concerned when I told her this, because she says that I need milk. And I will still have milk if it is in the food I'm eating, but just for drinking when I'm thirsty, I will only drink water. And as for sweets, I have done this for lent for the past few years. It is a challenge during Valentines Day and my birthday, (which are both during lent) but since I am only doing this for January, it shouldn't be that big of a problem.

I have an idea for February and March, but I am going to wait and see how I do with January before I decide for sure.

Another thing that I want to do this year, is the 365 challenge. I have seen several people on my facebook do this, and I want to give it a try. What you do, is take one picture every day, and then at the end of that week, I will post all seven pictures here on my blog and give a little information about each picture. Since I am always carrying my iPod or camera around and taking pictures anyway, this shouldn't be that hard of a challenge...at least, I hope not. We'll see though, I guess.

So, what do you think? Are you planning to start, or give something up for the new year?

~Sam