I don’t remember how I first came across it, but a post by Rajesh Setty from January 2006, his “New Year Resolutions Generator,” inspired me to start thinking about New Years resolutions a few weeks early this year. I know it’s already the 2nd of January (sorry, I meant to have this up earlier), but if you don’t have any resolutions yet, Raj’s list is a good one to spark some ideas. I know a lot of people don’t like making New Years resolutions, but as the folks over at Trizle say, “When you set some goals, you automatically make yourself more productive.” So after pondering for a month and eliminating the ones I didn’t really need, I set myself ten goals, or resolutions, for 2007. This is going to be a good year. Here they are:
- Keep exercising and stay fit. I have to conquer my asthma problem, keep running in the evenings at home, and I would like to start a new habit of taking a morning walk at work.
- Register a dot com domain for myself and the blog. But, this means I need to find a friend who can help me design a professional homepage and possibly redesign the blog with significantly less than $1000.
- Read at least one book a month that will help me realize my dreams. Since Christmas came, I’ve already got my books for the next 8 months:
- Tom Peters’ The Brand You50
- Rajesh Setty’s Beyond Code: Learn to Distinguish Yourself in 9 Simple Steps
- Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People
- Richard Farson and Ralph Keyes’ The Innovation Paradox: The Success of Failure, The Failure of Success
- James Surowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds
- Jay Abraham’s Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got
- Keith Ferrazzi’s Never Eat Alone
- Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner’s Freakonomics
- Start a new business, and donate one percent of sales revenue to improve the environment through 1% for the Planet (started by the founder of Patagonia).
- Reflect on my past week and plan my upcoming week. I also need to use my calendar better and want to look into using an online calendar that will sync with my Apple iCal (anyone have any tips?).
- Start making a regular donation to the Save Darfur Coalition, a charity that sends aid to the victims of genocide in Sudan and lobbies on their behalf. This is a cause I have become very passionate about in the last year or so, and in addition to donating, I have pledged to get commitment this year from at least five friends to sign the easy online petition to the President and the new UN Secretary-General to strengthen the African Union forces in Darfur, to send a UN peace force, and to increase aid to Sudan (please follow that link if you’d like to help petition the UN to send more help—it is an easy 2-minute process).
- Attend networking events and become a better public speaker through a club such as Toastmasters International.
- Purchase carbon offsets for my Pontiac through a company like TerraPass.
- Join GreenDimes, the service that keeps you off junk mail lists for 10 cents a day, and plants a tree for you each month!
- Teach myself French again with language podcasts or CDs.
What are YOUR New Years resolutions?
Please share in the comments!
Ok, ok, time for my resolutions. In all honesty I hadn’t thought too much about them before, but as I sit down to put them in a list, I’ve realized that I am turning into a hippie. Just thought I’d warn you. Here is a rough outline of what I am hoping to accomplish this year…
1. Apply for a (paid) internship or a professional gig – Attempt theatre beyond school.
2. Determine my type and theatrical distinction – As odd as it sounds, as a performer, I am the product and I must find a way to promote myself. Find theatrical individualism.
3. Familiarize myself with the products of theatre – Read plays of all types, attend as many performances as financially possible, and start reading Playbill on a regular basis ; )
4. Continue and expand my yoga practice – Yoga not only has wonderful health benefits, but also is an excellent tool for a mind/body/soul connection; Something I can definitely draw on as an actor.
5. Go vegan! – Love of humans = Love of animals. Share the love!
6. Become an active paticipant in the fight for animal rights – Either begin an animal rights organization on campus, convince my school to undertake some animal safe strategies, or become a known presence in Chico as an advocate.
7. Balance work and play – Stop bringing work home and give myself some personal time every day to be free from stress.
8. Never take life for granted – Live without regret.
Well it’s hard to follow Jaime, as I am almost incoherent with travel tiredness, but…
1. balance!! between boyfriend and family, between school and play and work, between SD and SacTown, and between all my different impulses, desires, and ideas!
2. health!! i can breathe, I can eat what I like, I can outrun killer bees (the approved method of thwarting them, fyi; bees are slow fliers). But I can’t keep taking this for granted. Yoga and salsa dancing are therefore in my future…
3. Travel. anywhere. everywhere I can manage, whenever I can.
4. happiness!! I resolve to continue being happy. You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough.
Well, you’ve all inspired me to think about this in a different way although I make an attemp to keep focused on my first goal every day of every year.
1. Love God and my fellow man more, more, more. That may lead to particular actions I haven’t thought of yet.
2. Express myself more in something creative, possibly painting.
3. Appreciate my positive characteristics and stop focusing on negative traits.
4. Be a source of love and encouragement to my family and friends and anyone else who needs it.