New Year's Resolutions

Mary Schmich in the Chicago Tribune posed the question, why does making a resolution always mean buying new stuff in our materialistic society? I think this is a valid question, and also a trap that I often fall into myself. Being a better person than you were the year before is always the goal of a resolution. Spending money can help you toward your goal, or it can be just pushing the "easy" button, looking like a step forward, but really just adding to your 'stuff' collection.

This past year, it was not too horrible, and some of the spending went to a good cause. Last year's resolution was to do another marathon and get in shape. The main expense was time, but I also wanted to encourage myself by getting some new running gear, and to keep motivation, I signed up with the Leukemia Society's Team in Training. This organization has a fund raising minimum, with which I did get some support from friends, and then footed the remainder of the amount--which was several hundred dollars. It was a worthwhile resolution, I did run a marathon (Chicago, which was a hot debacle this year). Since I was not allowed to finish because of the race being called off due to heat and lack of water, I feel I must train for another marathon at some future time.

This year, my resolutions are to market myself better for voiceover and theatrical work, get going on informational interviews for a corporate position for later this year, and the ongoing getting in better shape and losing that stubborn 10 lbs I hate so much. These are the resolutions that are going to cost me something monetarily.

I have also decided that I will make non-monetary resolutions this year. I will be kinder to those I am not fond of. I will volunteer more at my children's schools. I will be a better listener. I will reach out to my elderly neighbors. I will be more patient with my preadolescent son. I will think before opening my mouth to say something caustic that might hurt others, even if it gets a laugh. I will write more often, and keep ahead of all birthday greetings this year.

Which set will make me a better person than I was the year before?