New Year’s Resolutions: Make them Fun!

The newest addition to our team, Mary Rarick comes to Mambo with a B.A. in English, a teaching certificate and a background in publishing, project management and education. Most recently, Mary was the Managing Editor for Portland Family Magazine and Goodness. A self-acknowledged social media addict, she is thrilled to be helping companies foster and engage their online communities. In her free time Mary can be found curled up on the couch reading, volunteering as a member of Century High School’s Site Council or desperately capturing territories in a spirited game of Risk with her family. Join us in welcoming Mary!

Have you already given up on your New Year’s resolutions? If you have, my guess is that you’re not alone. Personal and professional resolutions, otherwise known as goals, often fall victim to the day-to-day realities of life. I was surprised to recently read that a British professor found that only 12% of the people who make resolutions end up achieving their goals.

One way to ensure that your resolution is successful is to make it fun. Let me give you an example.

My husband, a runner, and his friends participate in running events (of their own creation) to stay motivated over the winter and have a little fun while they’re at it. Granted, their idea of fun and mine are two different scenarios, but even their New Year’s Hitches to Bitches event had me intrigued.

Take a look at the invitation and tell me this doesn’t look like fun!

Ask Yourself:

Have you ever wanted to do the Goofy Challenge at Disney World where you run back-to-back half marathons on consecutive days?

Have you ever wanted to visit strip clubs at 8:00 in the morning? Let’s be real here: who hasn’t?

Have you longed for a really cool race medal that very few people will ever have? Heck, yeah!

Have you wanted a top-10 race finish? Of course you do!

Course Description:
Dec 31st – Hitches to Bitches & Back ½ Marathon: This scenic course starts at Conway Freight (hence Hitches”) and travels through the Pearl onto Naito Parkway, crosses the Steel Bridge and follows the Eastside Esplanade entering the beautiful Springwater Corridor which takes you all the way to Sellwood where you’ll encounter the ever-so-popular Riverside Corral Strip Club (“Bitches”). After crossing the Sellwood Bridge you will connect to the Willamette Park trail which will take you past the historic Spaghetti Factory and on to Moody Street. You will then connect with the Westside waterfront and travel along the water until you get back onto Naito Parkway and continue through the Pearl to end at CNF (hence “& Back”).

Jan 1st – Hitches to Other Bitches & Back ½ Marathon: Picture another colorful course description similar to the previous one.

Registration is now open. Registration is limited to the first 20 really cool people who reply.

Fees:
26.2 Challenge: $0.00 thru Dec 25th; Double the price after Dec 29th; Triple the price on race day.

No refunds or transfers

Results will never be posted as we are all winners!!!

Now I ask you: if your New Year’s Resolution is to train for the 2011 Portland Marathon, wouldn’t this be a great way to have a little light-hearted fun along the way?

So what did you resolve to do better this year? Update your blog calendar and be more consistent with posting to your blog? Tweet more? Engage with a group on LinkedIn? Or just figure out Quora? What is your goal and what can you do to have fun with it? I’d love to hear your ideas in the Comments section below. If you find yourself stumped, maybe we can figure it out together.

Photo credits: Andrea Moore, event organizer and Clark Haass, the official course support, photographer and certified doctor to Hitches to Bitches & Back Half-Marathon 2010.