Resolutionary Challenge 2011

Last year I participated in a 12 week on-line Resolutionary Challenge. Imagine a cyber group sharing similar goals and creating a supportive community. I completed the 12 weeks drinking more water, not eating after 9 p.m. and making some friendships that have continued to sustain me. The Resolutionary Challenge helped create an environment to support goal setting and striving to improve myself. I would like to invite you to participate this year. Early bird registrations (before December 31, 2010 at midnight MST) will go into a random draw for free regisration. For those of you who have participated in the past, please note that there are a few changes. The ground rules are:

1. Start date is Monday, January 10th; we'll go for 12 weeks, and end on April 2nd, 2011.
2. Registration fee of $30 CDN into the Resolutionary Challenge Fund by January 10, 2011.
3. A maximum of 10 points can be earned daily, 70 points weekly, 840 over 12 weeks.
4. Beginning January 10, record your points in an online spreadsheet to be circulated by Jan 09, 2011.By registering for the challenge, this will allow you access to the discussion group and online spreadsheet where you can keep track of your progress and see how others are doing.
5. There are three categories of winners:

Most points: 40% of the cash in the Challenge Fund will be for the highest scoring resolutionary (in the event of a tie, the top participants will split the 40%).

Weekly winners: To keep us motivated and reward small victories along the way, 20% of the Challenge Fund will be allocated for interim prizes. These rewards will occur approximately Week 3, 6, and 9.

Finishers: The Resolutionary Challenge is partly about getting the most points, but mostly about process. Each participant who gets an average of 70% points or better per week and finishes the entire 12 weeks will be eligible for a random draw for 20% of the Challenge Fund.

The remaining 20% will be donated to kiva.org under Resolutionary Challenge 2011.

6. Points are earned for the following activities:

1. Floss teeth every day - the best thing you can do to improve your dental health

2. Drink more water - this year there is not a prescribed amount though there is a minimum of 1 litre (1 quart)- you know what you currently drink and what your body needs - you may want to eliminate soda pop or high caloric fancy coffees

3. Exercise 60 minutes each day- this does not have to be done all at one time - you could walk in the morning for 20 , run in the afternoon for 20 , cycle for 20.

4. Pay down you debt or save your money - make a goal for the 12 weeks - "Twelve weeks from now I will have saved ..." - the daily goal will be what you do that day to achieve your long term goal. You may want to set a montly goal as well to help you achieve your quarter of year goal. Maybe it is foregoing that high caloric specialty coffee or maybe changing your shopping mindset. Think shop therapy as an oppressive term.
5. Take fifteen minutes of down time every day for yourself -  read a great book, meditate, focus on the divine, take a hot bath - this is not television viewing, texting, making phone calls.

6. Finish eating by 9 p.m.

7. Eat a minimum of 7 servings of fruits and vegetables - remember a small apple is one serving just as a carrot is one serving. And V-8 pretty much takes you half way there for the day. This does not mean 7 fruits only nor 7 vegetables only.

8. Create something -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLlnq5yY7k If you make a meal, create it from scratch. You can create a friendship, create a painting, create a Sunday School lesson, a blogpost.

9. Goal of your choice - write the goal at the beginning of the week and work on it each day. It may be to make your bed or be ready to show yourself to the world by 11 a.m. It must be different from these other nine goals. You can change this goal every week if you like.

10. Wild Card this goal will change each week. It will most certainly include online participation though not each week.
Are you ready to be a resolutionary?

If you are, click on this PayPal button and pay the entry fee; it's going to show up as $30. If you don't want to open a PayPal account, let me know -- we'll figure out an alternative arrangement. In the meantime, here's the button: