With the passing of 2016, we renew the cycle of resolutions and goals that we all set and we all generally set aside somewhere in February. Usually these goals are for self betterment such as, losing weight, being more thoughtful, or setting a plan to change the course of your life. I feel that instead of self betterment, we should use these efforts to better the lives of others. This sounds all high and mighty, like "ugh why help yourself when you can help others," but I mean in the sense of bettering a community you better yourself.
The sense of community and connectivity has diminished over time, despite the creation of technology that has made social connections even more available. So how do we rebuild this social construct of a community? Do the stupid stuff you imagine a suburban mom doing for a resolution. Join a society (try not to join a cult, that's not what we're going for here), or try to volunteer more. Seems simple enough and seems common enough, but how do we make sure that we don't quit before we get in the habit and make it a permanent deal?
Make a group resolution. Do this with your friends or a significant other! Making a goal with a family member might be a little less enjoyable so I would avoid working with a brother or sister and even parents. But if you make your resolution to volunteer at a soup kitchen more often, invite your friend to have the same resolution and work together on it. If you don't want to involve a permanent partner in this resolution (or you do it with a significant other and things go south so now you're on your own again), invite a new friend every time, or get a group of friends and make a schedule where you rotate in pairs.
The addition of the community mentality will do a lot more than just help yourself. You will feel a lot more productive, and accomplished and that's what these resolutions are all about. Now I feel better for writing this and giving tips, because I know my resolution won't last a week and nothing will change.
