My resolution, such as it is, is to keep doing what I'm doing and enjoy it a little more. I hate the resolution trap. As a society we have this notion that things must always be getting bigger and better; the grass is always greener on the other side. You've got a nice job? Your neighbor has a better one. Drive a BMW? Your brother just bought a Mercedes. You managed not to gain any weight over the holidays? Your sister lost 20lb. It's an inevitable consequence of our consumer culture, which is constantly selling us on bigger, better, and, faster. Perhaps there's even some sort of biological drive behind it - getting and hoarding "stuff" is probably a pretty important motivation for a hunter / gatherer to have. In any case, I'm putting that behind me this year. I'm doing what I want to do, I'm married to a wonderful woman, and I've got more "stuff" than a 19th century European monarch could have even dreamed of. I'm sick and tired of a culture that constantly tells me that this isn't good enough, so my resolution this year is to ignore the noise, and just be happy.
I don't really do resolutions, but my big challenge this year will be to change from a 1 child household to a 2 child household. I hope I can pull it off without going insane, creating horrible sibling rivalry, driving my husband around the bend, or losing my job. I gather people have been doing this for millions of years, so hopefully we will survive it as well.
Thalia
Unfortunately, by resolving to not do them, it means I maintain my impeccable track record of never keeping them. At least failing to keep this one is much less painful than failing to keep a serious resolution.
Illegitimi non carborundum.
Only one resolution this year. To calm down and take a deep breath. Working in a fast-paced public-service-sector type environment - that's a place where one can too easily forget that, hey - as long as nobody died - what's all the screaming about?
Everyone - please - lets all just calm down and take a deep breath. There, now.
Isn't that better, hmmmm?
She'll have fun, fun, fun, til her daddy takes the TBird away....
I actually did OK on last year's resolutions. I got a better job that turned out to be worse but more lucrative, but the people I met got me an even better job and some good friends. This also helps with the "be more social" resolution. I spend far less time vegging out in front of the TV and the computer and more time hanging out and being social. I still don't have the degree I wanted, but I'm very much on a learning track again. Every day I learn something new and my diagnostic skills are really improving. Due to a massive economic hit the past month I still haven't managed to get debt-free, but I'm still working towards the goal. Finally, I still don't have a hobby that doesn't involve a computer or TV.
This year my plans are much the same:
- Continue the effort to get out and enjoy life.
- Keep learning. I've come a long way on my system administration, database, and perl skills in the past six months, and I want to keep rolling.
- Actually get on a plane and go visit some of the friends I keep promising to visit. I really ought to take a month off and just go on tour, but that would scuttle...
- Finish the year with no credit card debt and at least $1000 in savings.
- Finish one of the screenplays I have half-completed AND/OR shoot one of the short films I've already scripted. Anyone on TnT who wants to help with this one is more than welcome.
-=Logan
"Spockmate!"
I don't really make resolutions, in part because I lacki resolve, but this year I want to really make an effort to smoke more. Seriously. Like most babaric shitholes, my city has banned smoking in bars where it belongs, so I've cut back without meaning to. Some bars break the rules at night, it would be nice to find a place that does during the day. I'm thinking there's got to be someplace in Chinatown that has a secret back room where I can hang with a bunch of old Chinese dudes and smoke.
I'm joinnig a gym, goddammit!
It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.
I don't make New Years resolutions, on the general (and boring) principle that if a habit is bad enough to ditch, or good enough to embrace, the timing shouldn't matter. The one exception, as a nod to social pressure, is my continuing resolution (ugh, that doesn't sound good given the headlines, eh?) since about 1989 not to eat at McDonalds. Nothing personal, nothing political, certainly not for healthiness. I still eat at Burgerville whenever I'm back home, for instance, in part because they have some of the best shakes ever (boysenberry goes great with ice cream!) Nope, I just decided that the Golden Arches didn't need my money, and I haven't given them a dime since then.
Now, if I could give up the frozen pizzas as quick dinners, that would be progress. Unlikely as all hell though :)
Ex ignorantia ad sapientiam; e luce ad tenebras
Thank God It's Over
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine
I'm awful at working out plans, but I'm pretty good at sticking to habits, once they're ingrained, so that's what I do. Right now, I'm easing out of a diet after losing 20 pounds. How did I do it? I figured out how to make 5 days of dinner meals I liked out of vegetables, then shopped for them on a five day rotation. Even though I kept eating my big greasy two-patty melt from the lunch truck every noon, the intake was balanced out by my grapefruit for breakfast and veggies for dinner. As long as I kept spoilable healthy food in my fridge, I was guilted away from eating anything else.
The same goes for working out. I got into the habit of hitting the gym every other night two years ago, and now it's second nature. Ditto for surfing--I end up in the water almost every day I have off, regardless of my mood or the conditions.
The trick I learned was not to love my resolutions unconditionally. There are times when I'm tired as shit, hate the elliptical and want to just get off right there. There are times when the waves are blown out and thrashed, and the water is freezing. But I still tough it out and keep going, because 1) I know I'd feel pretty stupid punking out after only 15 minutes of activity after all that prep time, and 2) I treat it as a job, and do it anyway. That's how you keep something.
Another resolution tip: One year I resolved to give more to charity. I did this by setting a charity budget for the year on my Palm Pilot, and updating it every time I wrote out a check. It was useful for pacing myself, and it also helped me counter the annoying habit of foundations sending me more solicitations a few months after I already gave. $100 in March? Into the trash with you, Amnesty!
(is 3fingerspointback)
My new favorite site, lifehacker.com has a few articles to help:
-=Logan
Spockmate!
