The Resolution Swap – Part 1: Give Away Your Resolution and Get a Stranger's

Today is October 8th. There are 84 days until New Year's Eve – exactly twelve weeks. That is the time you have if you don't wait until the last evening to start thinking about the year ahead.

And that's what today is about: resolutions. But with a twist we enjoy: you don't keep your resolution. You give it away – and get someone else's in return.

Why swap at all?

A resolution for the new year is usually a promise to ourselves. And we tend to be especially generous when it comes to not keeping promises to ourselves. (That's a common everyday observation, not a statistic of ours.)

With a resolution that someone else has entrusted to us, it may be different: you don't want to let them down. That's our guess – and the experiment is meant to show whether it holds.

The rules

1. One sentence. Write down one resolution for the new year – small, concrete, in a single sentence. "I want more …" is too big. "Once a week …" works.

2. Nothing private. No name needed. Please no health, no money, no names of other people.

3. The swap (Part 2, November 19th). Your resolution goes to the next person in line, and you get the one from the person before you. The order is the order of the replies; the last person gets the first one's.

4. A matter of honour. You may accept the stranger's resolution, reword it or hand it back – but try it seriously for a week first. Only you know whether you did. That's a matter of honour.

5. The wrap-up (Part 3, December 31st). If you like, tell us in one sentence what became of the stranger's resolution.

Three examples to warm up

"Call someone once a week instead of texting."

"Drink my coffee sitting down, without doing anything else at the same time."

"Walk a route I've never walked before once a month."

We made these three up – they are not replies from guests.

How to join in: one sentence is enough

Scroll down below this article to the comments. There you'll find a comment titled "My resolution to swap". Click "Reply" and write your one sentence. That's it.

To be honest: it was pretty quiet under our last articles. So this time we're making the hurdle as low as possible – one sentence, no name needed. If only a few sentences come in, we'll say so openly in Part 2 and swap anyway. If none come in, we'll write three swap suggestions from the editorial team and let you choose.

The big question: start right away – or wait for New Year's Eve?

Team "Start right away": A resolution with 84 days of run-up is already half done before it begins.

Team "Wait for New Year's Eve": A fresh start needs a date. Without midnight it doesn't feel real.

Which team are you? Reply under the comment "The big question" with one sentence and your team.

The mini-experiment: the first swap at the table

This week, give someone at your table – family, a friend, a colleague – one of your resolutions. One sentence is enough: "I'm giving you my resolution: …" And see what happens. If you like, tell us in one sentence under "My resolution to swap".

The timetable until New Year's Eve

Part 1 – today, October 8th (84 days to go): collecting resolutions.

Part 2 – November 19th (42 days to go): the big swap.

Part 3 – December 31st: the wrap-up.

In between, our "Table 85" series continues: Chapter 76 appears around October 16th.

84 days until New Year's Eve

Twelve weeks. Enough time to really try out a stranger's resolution.

We are closed for our holiday break until Thursday, October 15th, and will be back for you from Friday, October 16th: Mastiha Mezedopolio, Arndtstraße 12, 10965 Berlin-Kreuzberg, phone 030 612 85 386. The next Drachmen Fest comes in a year – as every year.