New Year’s resolutions are so yesterday! Spice up your year by engaging in these daily projects, which are not only fun but will serve as your time capsule for the year ahead. Don’t be afraid to commit to these daily tasks, as you can always double up on days you are unable to complete.
The project: 366 daysof self-portraits
Tools: Camera/phone camera
How-to: Take one photo of yourself every single day this year. You can add a social component to your project by uploading your snap to Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or Flickr. Get creative each day by taking unusual self-portraits in crazy venues or situations.
Self-portraits are also helpful if one of your resolutions this year is to lose weight—you’ll be able to track your progress photographically. Stash your photos in a separate folder in your computer and create a cool year-end slideshow!
The project: 366 snaps
Tools: Camera/phone camera
How-to: If self-portraits aren’t your thing, mark each day with a memorable photo of something you saw, ate, or visited.
The project: 366 days of journaling/blogging
Tools: Notebook, pen, or an account on Blogger or WordPress.
How-to: Write down highlights of each day on a dedicated journal or blog. Change your impression of writing in journals—this doesn’t have to be a “Dear Diary” confessional or lengthy recap of your day. You can make it a challenge by limiting yourself to the character count of a tweet or SMS. Make your notebook extra creative by using colored pens and stickers. If you’re more inclined to drawing, you can tweak this by making 366 days in sketches.
The project: 366 outfits
Tools: Camera/notebook and colored pencils
How-to: Catalog your outfits for the year by taking a snap a day or drawing your ensemble du jour. You’ll not only be able to see your style evolve with the trends, you’ll also be able to make sure you don’t wear the same outfit on parties or dates!
The project: Twelve books a year
Tools: Books
How-to: Super writer Jason Doplito started this project for himself last year, and we wanted to try it ourselves—read and finish at least one book a month. The avid bookworm may scoff at this, but actually finishing a book amidst the many distractions of real life can be tough.
Mix up your reading repertoire by alternating fiction and nonfiction reads each month, and encourage your friends to read along with you for reading discussions after.
The project: 366 days of good deeds
Tools: Yourself!
How-to: Attempt to do one good deed a day. It doesn’t have to be grand, just small gestures that’ll make you and the recipient happy. E.g., being (genuinely) nice to a colleague you detest or treating the custodial staff at your office to lunch.
The project: Project loose change
Tools: Loose change and a bottle
How-to: Put all your loose change (coins) in a bottle at the end of each day. Don’t count until the year ends. You’ll be surprised at how much you end up accumulating in!
The project: 366 words
Tools: A dictionary or word-a-day calendar
How-to: Expand your vocabulary by committing to memory one word a day. Make it a point to use your word of the day in your conversations, no matter how insane!