2011 Resolutions

As we enter the first year in decades whose Arabic numerals don't make good glasses, I thought I'd put up my resolutions for the year, to stand as hollow mockery later when I look back at them in failure. Whee!

1. I want to write more. That's pretty vague, so to put it more specifically, I want to work on writing every single day. That's a lofty goal, since the world gets in the way, but I'm defining "working on writing" much more loosely than I have in the past. No more multi-thousand-word daily goals (though that'd be nice.) No, as long as I actually do something for writing -- revise a draft, write 100 words, do research, whatever, then I'll count that as a "win".

That way it'll take very little for me to squeeze in something at the end of the day to keep my streak running, and if I did just a tiny bit every day, it'd be more over time then my start-stop-stop-stop-stop-start method that I'm employing now. I may even use a calendar as Jerry Seinfeld recommends, but we'll have to see.

2. I want to learn skills and get things that make me more...I was about to say self-sufficient, but much closer to the way I'm thinking about it is more helpful to others and less dependent on the economy. Whether or not you share my "pessimistic" views about where our economy as a whole is headed (at some point I'll write a post laying all that out, and explaining the scare quotes), but it is never impossible that one's own situation will drastically worsen in the future, and the less you need big systems that require money, and the more you are in cooperation with people around you, the better you'll be able to weather any storm. Also, you're a better person for it, and it's a lot of fun.

How that will all play out I'm mostly leaving intentionally open so as to not commit myself too early, but it may well include classes, practicing things, making things, trading things in, etc. Some actions I know it will include are so important that they each deserve their own bullet point, so the next few resolutions will tick their own boxes and count toward this one as well:

3. I want to garden much more extensively than last year. Last year went very well, actually, considering the small scale and how much Erin and I were just beginners; but this year I want to have a lot more, so that even a terrible success rate will leave us with lots of food.

4. I want to spend more time with people I care about. Both Erin and I have a tendency to hole up, especially when we feel like there are a lot of things we need to do, but I love hanging out with the people I love hanging out with, an easily-forgotten tautology for me, so I'm going to work on that. Most especially my brother, who when I talk to him often improves whatever it is I'm thinking about or working on even when he isn't aware he did it. So, I'm being selfish by talking to him, I guess.

5. I want to try to make more of a connection with the people that live around me. This is very trying for me, since I'm good in social situations with strangers and mere acquaintances, but find them an incredible amount of work. However it's important for neighbors to know each other, and it would probably make my day-to-day life happier as well.

6. Erin and I want to have fewer things each month. Our house is way too crowded with junk, making it work to keep it clean, and making it difficult to find the things we do want. So we're going to clear out at a reasonable pace -- the idea is to choose one thing each month and make that the focus, like books or clothes or whatever, though of course all opportunities to get rid of things will be taken up. Once that's done I think we'll be a lot happier and a lot more motivated to do things.

7. Likewise, I want to watch less TV etc. We don't even have a TV in the house, and we watch far less than the national average (holy crap, look that up) but we still watch too much for me, and I find it sucks hours far too easily.

8. I want to keep developing philosophy and political thought. I've made a lot of change and progress last year, in my focus and approach to philosophy, and I want to continue that, whether in school or not.

9. Speaking of which, I want to finish all my applications. This is a bit silly, since I'll be done, win or lose, by mid-February, so it isn't really a year's goal, but it is an important thing I'm working on.

10. The one I say every year, which is that I want to try lots of new experiences, have fun, and be of help to other people.

So that's about it, other than the meta-resolution:
I will blog once a week or so about my status on these resolutions, as motivation for myself and interest for voyeurs.

How about you? What are your resolutions?