I hate making resolutions...

But I've got this compulsion to make lists. Lists of anything. Lists of songs that I like, want to buy. Lists of books to read. Lists of places to visit. So I am compelled to make a list of resolutions (that in all honesty I cannot say how well I can follow through on).

So here's my list of resolutions, the ordering and number are completely arbitrary, for the coming new year of 2008:


1. Work on my hero theme. Everyone deserves one, well almost everyone. I might as well have one, I've always got some weird made-up song running through my head, I need to purge that thing.

2. Make more playlists for my ipod. Why? Just 'cause it's overdue. I need to get rid of some embarrassingly cheesy songs too (don't ask).

3. Ditch the idiot box (TV), except for watching Heroes and Battlestar Galactica (hmm... it looks like I'm making excuses already). This is completely doable since the introduction of hulu.com where hopefully I can watch these shows. This makes my desire to have a flat-panel television a bit of a waste of money. I need to wean myself of my addiction to news, which is not going to be easy in the election year. But all of these people are a bunch of blowhards and I plan to just continue to focus on researching their past actions (via internet) and not on the BS that they have to spout now for CNN and The New York Times.

4. Blog more. There's something just so cathartic, therapeutic about putting words down in a journal. Since my handwriting has gotten to the point where even I have a hard time making it out, typing has taken its place. And why not journal in blog form.

5. Use the other idiot box less (laptop). This looks like it counters the previous resolutions, but it doesn't. Like the majority of people, my time is so limited that getting every daily task done takes the patience of Job. A lot of my time is used up in ADD surfing episodes. Better use of search bots and feeds can help to greatly reduce my wasted time online.

6. Travel more. I used to not have a problem with this. I have been a workaholic, but I always had a specific time (outside of holidays) dedicated to travel for simple pleasure. My attachment to work has gotten much worse over the past few years; haven't figured out why yet, but it's not healthy. I've got family and friends spread out and I've got no excuses for not taking advantage of that.

7. Work less or at least spend less time obsessing over it. I don't think this one needs clarification. I need to get on the life-work balance bandwagon.

8. Do something new every month. Sometimes I can have a pretty short attention span and I don't like complacency, so I always look to try at least one new thing a month. It can be anything, something as little as trying a new bar/nightclub to traveling somewhere completely new. I like to get well out of my comfort zone, every once in a while.

9. Be green. This actually is not too much of a problem for me since I don't own a car and I recycle both at home and work. My green practices could use some perfecting though; use less water, use less packaging. Note to Trader Joe's: do you have to plastic wrap most of the produce?

10. Spend less. Our economy is in the toilet, no need in my following it off the cliff. This may actually be a little difficult since I've had my eye on a new laptop upgrade to a Mac; but since Jobs always likes to buck the trend of reasonably-priced hardware, he may be helping me to decide.

11. Vote. I think every list of resolutions should have the equivalent of an easy "A". This is mine.