Self-Help Group Awareness Month

January is almost over, but that doesn’t mean you have to scrap any resolutions you haven’t yet kept, feel like a failure, and grab a pint of Rocky Road. In face, many self-help coaches recommend using the month for planning the rest of the year, starting resolutions themselves in February. So really, you still have a weekend of planning left!

January is Self-Help Awareness Month, a month where we can recognize those groups and volunteers at AA meetings, coping circles, and other groups who help us be the best people we can possibly be. Though often anonymous, many people think of these groups as their extended friends and family. One of the things you might want to do this year is start a self-help group.

It doesn’t have to be elaborate, or large, or even in person; you could create a self-help group on the web these days via Facebook, Yahoo Groups, or another source. Make it a group phone call through a free conference call service if you like—or, if it’s a very small group, just use three-way calling. It doesn’t have to be a theme, either; simply make it a group of friends who support each other through various issues, if you like. Make simple rules, such as no judgment, being there for one another, and only offering advice when asked for it. Meet as often as you wish—weekly, monthly, or bi-weekly are some ideas.

If you do want to meet around a theme, think about what them you need the most help in—or feel like you and your friends could help each other with. Maybe it’s parenting, or taking care of an older relative. Perhaps you’re overwhelmed with work, dieting, or time management. Maybe you all have a dream you’d like to pursue together, such as starting a catering business or becoming children’s book authors.

You can even make your group centered around something fun, like the You Can Do It! Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls book or a similar work. Each month, every person could work on that month’s badge—such as hosting a party or traveling some place new—and at the meetings, members could share their progress and be “awarded” their badges. Other books you might want to form a group around include Julia Cameron’s Artist Way series, Kerri Smith’s How to Be an Explorer of the World or This is Not a Book, or Life Makeovers by Cheryl Richardson.