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| New Years resolutions are often the subject of cartoons |
At the end of every year people look back at what the year has brought them and think and talk about what has happened in the past year. The best en worst lists come up and it’s time for new year’s resolutions. Volunteering, travel to new places, be less stressed and live healthy; everyone has them. My new year’s resolution is to be on time for important (or less important) meetings because I am always late. I am always five or ten minutes late, not half an hour. Although, lately I've been really bothered by being late because it must be annoying for the people that have to wait for me, even if it is "just five minutes". Therefore, I decided I want to change this.
The question is, how are we going to make sure that we live up to our new year's resolutions? The solution seems simple and is, of course again, social media. When can it not be used? Taking a look at the internet you can find several websites that can help you fulfil your resolutions.
The website’s title makes a good statement when you enter the goal-listing website 43Things: ‘Changing your life is hard, doing it by yourself is harder’. The goals on the website are often very personal. Isn’t it weird to share those goals and the progress of them with strangers? Martin Leezel, who uses 43Things, disagrees: “Strangers are the ones who have your best interest at heart. For example, if you want to lose weight: isn’t your best friend secretly happier about the fact that she’s thinner than you and gets more attention? On 43Things people are divided into categories with the same goal. Everyone tries to cheer you up, shares their experiences and tries to help and motivate one another”.
The most public and vulnerable way to fulfil your resolutions is probably by uploading a video on YouTube. If you post a video and tell about your resolutions and progress you have made, everybody can see, hear and share it. You cannot post a goal anonymously on 43things and write every now and then about your process. People can recognize you from the video and identify with you, because of that they’ll support you more than the people will on other ‘help making my resolutions come true’ websites. Therefore, a video is the best way to make your reach your goal but it’ll take some guts.
The question is, how are we going to make sure that we live up to our new year's resolutions? The solution seems simple and is, of course again, social media. When can it not be used? Taking a look at the internet you can find several websites that can help you fulfil your resolutions.
The website’s title makes a good statement when you enter the goal-listing website 43Things: ‘Changing your life is hard, doing it by yourself is harder’. The goals on the website are often very personal. Isn’t it weird to share those goals and the progress of them with strangers? Martin Leezel, who uses 43Things, disagrees: “Strangers are the ones who have your best interest at heart. For example, if you want to lose weight: isn’t your best friend secretly happier about the fact that she’s thinner than you and gets more attention? On 43Things people are divided into categories with the same goal. Everyone tries to cheer you up, shares their experiences and tries to help and motivate one another”.
The most public and vulnerable way to fulfil your resolutions is probably by uploading a video on YouTube. If you post a video and tell about your resolutions and progress you have made, everybody can see, hear and share it. You cannot post a goal anonymously on 43things and write every now and then about your process. People can recognize you from the video and identify with you, because of that they’ll support you more than the people will on other ‘help making my resolutions come true’ websites. Therefore, a video is the best way to make your reach your goal but it’ll take some guts.
Sounds like a good story to me but I am not that kind of a daredevil, I am going to try out the website 43Things. Although, I have some doubts whether this website will help me with my personal goal: being on time for important meetings. It’s something I don’t necessarily need to be motivated for, like for example running a marathon does(which sounds like a fun resolution to me, as a runner). Still, people can support me by sharing their stories about hurrying, rushing, forgetting the time or looking at their watches constantly if they’re are running late. I have added my goals to a resolutions list at 43Things, so let’s give it a try and see if it works out...
To be continued.
To be continued.
543 words
Sources: Rosenbloom, S. (21 januari 2011). I resolve, World don´t fail me now. Geraadpleegd op: 10 december 2011, van: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/fashion/23resolution.html?_r=1&ref=newyear&pagewanted=print
Time (3 januari 2011). Top 10 commonly broken new year’s resolutions. Geraadpleegd op 21 december 2011, van: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2040218_2040220_2040221,00.html
