Starting the New Year On the Right Foot

(What was once lost is now found....more on that in my next post!)

It's a new year, and if you are like me, you like to "feel the fresh." Ergo...a "feel good" story was just what the doctor ordered for this kid! If you are looking for a new year's resolution or a way to make a difference this year, perhaps SpoGomi is for you.

Interestingly enough, it's not a new concept (though it felt new to me), and it's actually something I've written about before but with another name: plogging or plalking. If you are like most people, this is a new term for you. Basically, it's Swedish for "p"icking up "l"itter while you are jogging (plogging) or walking (plalking). Both have become quite popular over the past decade.

SpoGomi, on the other hand, is a bit more of a "sport," and it stands for "Sport Gomi" ("gomi" is Japanese for "trash"). It becomes it's own competitive level sport where  teams of three people compete to pick up the most trash in a set amount of time. There is even a World Cup for SpoGomi!

I think this is a great way to get people involved in cleaning up their communities. It's fun, it's competitive, and it makes a real difference. Maybe neighborhood SpoGomi is what we need! Who's with me?

Check out this poster I made (with a little help from AI) to show the basic rules!

 

The rules are simple:

1. Teams of 3: You need a team to compete... and you need to compete against a team.

2. Set the time: You have a set amount of time to pick up as much trash as you can.

3. Define a specific area: You have to stay within a certain area.

4. Types of trash: Different types of trash are worth different points. Cigarette butts are usually worth the most!

5. No sorting: You don't have to sort the trash, but you do have to pick it up safely. So take steps and wear safety equipment/gloves as needed.

What a great way to start the new year on the right foot. It's a small thing, but it can make a big difference. Let me know in the comments if you've ever heard of SpoGomi or if you'd be interested in starting a team!

Happy New Year, everyone! Let's make 2026 the cleanest year yet!

Images from https://www.facebook.com/1MillionWomen/posts/pfbid02HwVmLdpmMom5GSrYjxEs1W8Gfu76XWNwJcgHXhTcWvj6yZofZBjS7LNS8Ja8PsLvl and Spogomi Rules Infographic created using Perplexity.AI (and corrected in at least 4 places for spelling through my computer's editing tools--showing that it's always necessary to edit those AI requests carefully!!)