43 Goals and a Whole Lot of Support in 2008: Making New Year's Resolutions Fun

by Lael

Where do folks with screen names like "releaserina" and "misnomers" express their deepest desires, both light and dark? Well 43 of their wants are listed in order of priority on the website 43Things.com, and yours can be too!

For no more than a few minutes sign up time, you can join a large community of goal-setters, 78 members of which wish to "attain enlightenment." (Maybe they need to spend more time reading Daily Mantra?) By comparison, a full 27,584 wish to "lose weight." So, yes, the flesh does seem to be beating out the spirit on this network of goal setters by at least a small margin. But we won't be haters; people should want what they want. And, anyway, one thing that makes 43Things.com so fun and fascinating is the wide range of interests and values represented.

Since the site is as anonymous as its participants wish it to be, there is a nakedness to many of the desires listed as well. Anyone who has seen The Secret (4 members wish to "do" it) or in any way dabbled in The Law of Attraction (183 wish to "master" it) knows the importance of goal setting. 43things.com makes this process fun. Even folks who always feel stumped and blank when asked what they want will become inspired as they start poking around and reading through the many, many goals on view. Some of these are whimsical ("memorize an ironic poem of appropriate length so that the memorization can be used as a party trick, of course only at low-key, intellectualish parties"-13 people, "learn to whistle with my fingers"-42 people) and others deadly serious ("overcome cancer"-6 people, "accept that I have HIV"-1 person).

Virtual camaraderie abounds on 43things.com where participants cheer one another on, make themselves available to give advice regarding goals they've already reached, and write brief entries regarding their own progress or lack thereof on particular goals. So, if you are ready for a more focused year ahead, if you want to try something new, achieve something meaningful, or simply have more fun, check out the aspirations of your fellow websurfers on 43Things.com. Then take a moment to write out your own goals for 2008 and beyond. Whether you realize it or not, doing so and then revisiting, rereading and occasionally amending your list will make all the difference.

| 12/29/07 | Enlightenment