New Year's Resolutions

New Year's resolutions.  We all have them.  Usually, they involve being healthier, changing our diets, saving money - all admirable ways to improve our lives for no real reason except that the Earth completed another revolution around the Sun.  I think they're fun.  Once, I was sitting around contemplating the saying "worth its weight in gold."  I wondered aloud if I was worth my weight in gold.  Then I wondered if I was worth my weight in anything.  Was I worth my weight in beer?  Naturally, that progressed to "can I drink my weight in beer?" and boom!  New Years resolution - 2008.  A pint of beer weighs about a pound; I weighed 180 pounds; I just needed to drink 180 beers in the year (and keep an accurate count) and I would successfully achieve my resolution.  I hit number 180 in the middle of October.  Good times.  This was a long way to say that I enjoy this fun tradition.

Now, where am I heading with this?  What will I eat or drink 180 of this year??

Another thing I like = giving away money to charities that I respect.  I rarely feel better than when I've swiped my credit card or mailed in a check to a charity that is in a better position to make a difference than I am.  Combining my love for New Year's resolutions and giving away money led me to my resolution for 2014 - give away more money, encourage others to give away more money, and write about it.  And because I need pretty clear instructions in order to achieve any goal, here is how I will succeed:

1) 50 bucks per week.  That's what I think I can afford, after the landlord and the taxman come for their pieces of the pie.  50 bucks per week = $2600 for 2014.  That's not that much.  It's totally doable.  Each week, I will give $50 to a different charity.  52 charities.  And in the spirit of inclusion, I'll count non-profits, nongovernmental organizations, etc. in my definition of 'charity.'

2) A few days before sending in my check, I'll choose the Charity of the Week and write about it, giving a bit of context/history of the organization and giving other folks an opportunity to decide if they might also like to support it - that week or otherwise.

3) On the weekend, I'll send the check and write another little summary piece.

So that's the plan.  Follow along; share with your friends; and if you are so inclined, maybe you, too, can commit to supporting the same 52 Charities of the Week as the year moves along.  Even 2 or 3 bucks to each charity, each week will make a difference.  And it will make you feel pretty good.  I'll choose #1 tomorrow!

Happy 2014, everyone!  I can tell that it is gonna be a good one!