Tired of Resolutions? Let’s Try Leaping…

I’ll admit it…I’m a sucker for the end of the year. I love the concept of one thing ending and something fresh starting right around the corner. I make a list of things every year that I’m looking to change, be purposeful about, etc. And for the most part, I’m not too bad at following through on them. I think in life we all need to step out, make a change, pursue that dream, make a difference.

As most of you know, Rule29 tries to make some level of difference by being purposeful with our time and our impact – Africa, Story Telling, and  What Matters, to name a few. We strive to do our part and explore ways to pursue wonder and be aware. I hope, as a leader at Rule29 and a fellow creative, this is something that is not only making a difference outside our walls, but inside as well. To be transparent, though, in a lot of ways it’s easier to make changes at work. It’s just something we have built in to our day to day. But there are still some areas I feel I’m lacking…

For me, this is most evident in my family. I have four amazing kids and a wife that loves me for some weird reason. I want to make an impact in the world with them, so this year, as a family, we decided to do something together. A new friend of mine, Victor Saad, is starting a project called The Leapyear Project. It’s an initiative to get a group of people stepping out to make a difference. The concept of the Leapyear Project is simple: What risk will you take to change your life or the lives of others? What risk will you take to impact the world for the better or improve the community you live in? It encompasses an endless variety of forms, sizes, and concepts … it’s all up to you. Go to the site and check out the Risk page. This page really inspired my wife, Sarah, and I to try something together with our family.

We went to our four kids and talked to them about it. We asked them what they cared about in this world and what they wanted to help change. Next, we decided that, starting officially this  February of the Leapyear, we will each take two months and pick something all six of us can do to challenge, sacrifice, or push ourselves to take a risk and make a difference. Each family member has to research, set up, and choose two times this year what to do (with some help from Mom and Dad where necessary). The other months they will be doing what another member has chosen. We’ll then, as a family, document our experience and thoughts. So we have ages 39, 37, 11, 9, 7 and 6, all working together to accomplish positive change.

I will post now and then, and tweet with the #LYPROJECT hash tag, on what we are doing and how it is going because I think it will be incredibly interesting (At least I hope it will). So now I close with a question to you: What are you going to do to risk something this year? Don’t think that it has to be curing cancer (even though that would be awesome); it can take any shape or size. Maybe it’s just sitting with your grandma at the nursing home twice a month and having a conversation. Maybe it’s pursuing that crazy idea you keep putting off. Whatever it is, be purposeful and record your thoughts and what happens. I think you will be surprised at the outcome. What do you say? Let’s not make a resolution – let’s leap together for a year…. You in?