The Rules!

It seems like as I am driving into work lately, I have been hashing through the nitty-gritty details of the resolution.  Such as: Does an email thank-you count?  Can I thank the sun for shining? Can I thank my husband once a month at least for being so wonderful?

Answer: No.  This project is designed to connect with people not inatimate objects and in a personal way, hence the old-fashioned hand written letter. Also, it seems like cheating to thank someone more than once, doesn’t it?

Here are the rules as they have accumulated thus far:

Resolution Rules

1. 365 Thank-you notes in 365 days

2. Not necessarily 1 per day

3. Only one thank you per person

4. No work thank you notes (letters you are required to write as part of your job)

5. No back-handed thank-yous (i.e. thanks for not messing up the country more)

6. No sappy thank yous looking for something in return

7. Handwritten only, no email thank yous

8. Must be to actual people.

The Benefits of this Resolution

So why bother with all the time, stamps, and gnashing of teeth?  What are the benefits; why should I even bother?

First, I am hoping this will help me focus on all that I have and all the people in my life who have helped me, been kind, or have done a really good job. Simply put: I think writing thank you notes will help me feel thankful.

Second, I think this project will add to the world.  I am hoping that the people who receive my notes will feel appreciated; they will feel like someone else noticed their actions or kindness.  I am hoping their will be a ripple effect similar to that described in pay it forward – only on a smaller scale: a ripple effect of intention.

Third, I am hoping to convince other people to join me and thereby, increase the impact of telling people thank you exponentially.

Top Resolutions and Tips for Sucess

According to Gary Ryan Blair, from the www.GoalsGuy.com, who surveyed 300,000 people, the top ten New Year’s Resolutions are:

1. Lose Weight and Get in Better Physical Shape

2. Stick to a Budget

3. Debt Reduction

4. Enjoy More Quality Time with Family & Friends

5. Find My Soul Mate

6. Quit Smoking

7. Find a Better Job

8. Learn Something New

9. Volunteer and Help Others

10. Get Organized

       To me, these all seem to be very BIG goals, and  a little daunting.  They are vague and tough to measure. It is no wonder that such a large percentage of people who make New Year’s Resolutions fail.

From my own experience, I have found that smaller, more concrete goals are easier to achieve.  I also believe that small changes can be hugely impactful.   For example, I would like to feel more gratitude – to understand how fortunate I am.  Therefore, I will resolve to write thank-you notes.

I prefer SMART goals as described by Aristotle.  S.M.A.R.T. goals are

• Specific,
• Measurable,
• Achievable by you,
• Realistic, and
• Time framed.

This fits my 365 Thank-you notes in 365 days perfectly! 

My 2008 Resolution – Join Me

As a social worker in a homeless shelter, you’d think I would be more thankful…

As the mother of three healthy children, you’d think I would be more thankful…

So many reasons for me to be grateful, but I often feel deprived instead.  As I drive my 1994 Corolla with 313,000 miles, I wish for more.  As I search for something to wear before work, I wish for more.  As I think about planning a vacation to the ocean, I wish for more. 

I once kept a gratitude journal for a period of months, and it was wonderful.  It was the Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude by  Sarah Ban Breathnach, that basically asked you to write down five things you were thankful for each day.  I sat down before bed most nights and ran back through my day picking out the best parts.  It was a nice way to reframe my days.

So, to help adjust my attitude this coming year, I’ve decided to make my 2008 New Years Resolution be to write 365 Thank You notes in 365 days.  Certainly that will focus my gratitude – it will help me understand all that I have.  I am hoping the process will be transforming and I plan to share it with my children, and on this blog.

Odds of Sucess:

I am sure there are statistics available that site how very few resolutions are ever kept.  Fortunately, mine is not to lose weight or to quit smoking.  Plus, I have had resolution sucess in the past – I once went an entire year without shopping at Walmart (well – just about.) 

Again, I am hoping the process of giving thanks will be more important than the product part of this resolution, so that at the end of the year, if I am only at 325 thank you notes, it will still have been a sucess. That said, I will still do my best to write one thank you note a day – 365 in 2008! 

Sharing & Joining

Additionally, my plan is to blog about how writing so many thank you notes is affecting me.  Will I become burned out? Will I run out of people to thank?  How will it make a difference? Will my knuckles get nobby from all the handwriting? Do I even know 365 people?

And finally, I would like to challenge you to join me.  Resolve to Write 365 thank you notes or Resolve to Write 100 (resolution-lite) – share your progress, too.  Or, simply watch, give suggestions, and help hold me accountable.