Resolutions and goals - big and hairy, SMART or otherwise didn’t work for me. I’m using “25 for 2025” instead.

It’s that time of the year again. The internet is full of annual reviews, resolutions, goal setting and other serious-looking planning by people who seem to have their life way more together than me. I have tried and failed at resolutions, SMART goals, Big Hairy Audacious Goals and most of the other methods I’ve tried. What has stuck, and I am only semi-failing at, is the idea of xx for 20xx (I started with 19 for 2019) - picking a matching number of things to do in the year. These can be big or small, personal or business-related. Some would count as goals but I don’t think of them that way. I think of them as things I want to do, improve or learn.

Can you go for 21 days without complaining, criticising, or gossiping?

TL;DR Yes, but it will take a lot longer than 21 days 😁

The challenge is to go for 21 consecutive days without complaining, criticising, or gossiping. If you catch yourself doing any of these things, you have to start the 21 days again from day 1. You wear a bracelet, or have some other physical thing like a coin in a pocket and do a physical action - swap wrists or pockets each time you complain, ctiticise or gossip.