52 Week-by-Week Resolutions

Who are the 10 people in your life you trust enough to talk about personal issues, stand up for you in difficult situations or advise you when you make mistakes? Is your own name on that list?

Everybody keeps talking about the smoky eye. This week, learn how to do it like an expert. Better yet, give it a twist with a violet color that's just as sexy as black or gray and flatters every skin tone. For a less-bold look, try a colored eyeliner.

Not allowed: going as a pedestrian or as yourself.

Rewrite your online dating profile, take down the picture of you breastfeeding on Facebook or update your titles on Goodreads. Consider how many sites you need to have a presence on (Facebook and Google+?), which ones you actually use (Twitter?) and which new sites you might want to explore (Tumblr? Pinterest?).

You don't have to show it to anybody. But you do have to write it out by hand in clear, legible writing and save it.

How to write a poem

Everyone has one of these, that sharp, prickly feeling you get after talking badly about your clinically insane but otherwise kind neighbor or complaining about your lovely 74-year-old father who really tries not to call you 10 times a day. This feeling occurs because you're doing something you're not proud of. Stop doing it this week.

It's more nutritious than the white version (bran and wheat germ contain most of the vitamins and fiber), and when it comes to baking for the holidays, it can add depth and texture.

For example, (1) don't wear jeans with holes, (2) make friends with the receptionist at your OBGYN's office, and (3) always use cloth napkins.

You may not have a giant microphone, but you do have a hairbrush. Get in front of a mirror and very loudly list all the people who have helped you in the past year. If you're likely to forget a name over time, record it.

Assign yourself at least two conversations with two different strangers about any topic in the book, including the Gross National Happiness (GNH) index.