In past years, I have made New Year's Resolutions and have vowed to follow them. Some I did and some I didn't. Sometimes I think that my New Year's Resolutions are doomed to failure simply because they are called "New Year's Resolutions". This year I have decided to make lists. Lists have a slightly different connotation than "New Year's Resolution." Not so lofty sounding--more attainable. (Who knows maybe it is all just in my head.)
Anyway, here is my first list of things I would like to accomplish this year:
- Post on this blog at least twice a week. I want to have a little flexibility with this because there are just some days that I have too much to do to prioritize a blog post. Saying that, I think 2 posts per week is very doable.
- Keep to my budget. I just went through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University in October through December and I want to incorporate his methods into my financial life. One of the biggest parts of that is spending within my means by using a budget.
- Be more organized. This one is slightly more vague than the first two. One thing I want to do is spend some time on Sunday evenings planning out my week. Whether it is events, meals, to-dos, or whatever else, I want to have an overview of my week. Granted I can't predict everything that will come my way in any given week or at any given moment even; but I can have some idea what needs to be accomplished for my life to go just that much more smoothly.
- Read. Hah. This one isn't that hard for me but this year I want to challenge myself a bit. I'm what I call a "for fun" reader which means I mostly read fiction with no real deep and thought provoking message. Not to say that the books I read don't cause me to think, just that they are not intended for that purpose. I also tend towards the romantic suspense genre.
This year I want to read at least one non-fiction (or biography) book a month -- or at least 12. I also want to read at least 6 books I wouldn't normally pick up off the shelf.
- Learn something new. This year I want to learn something new. Whether it be a community Continuing Education class offered through the Community College, an online course via Universal Class from my library, or something I teach myself through books, magazines, or the internet.
For learning stuff, you might consider iTunes U where a lot of university lectures are posted for free, and Khan Academy on Youtube. I started a Khan Academy class, but, it turned out that I really wasn't that into calculus. I've listened to a lot of history lectures on iTunes U, and it was fascinating without the pressure of grades or testing.
ReplyDeleteI've also recently read 1861 by Adam Goodheart, about the pivotal year when the Civil War might have been avoided, and The First Clash by Jim Lacey about the first wars between what became East and West, wars we still seem to be fighting to this day.
And for a book that's romantic, suspenseful, and I bet you'd never pick up, you might try Michale Chabon's The Yiddish Policeman's Union. I blogged about it a few years ago: "I shook hands with Michael Chabon last night. I was fawning so much that even Bambi had to look the other way." And sorry that this comment got so long, I won't blame you if you don't post it. My policy is if the comment is longer than the post, then, "Hey, buddy, get your own blog!"