let's talk about a resolution

Hey folks it's 2012, the year of the Hobbits, Dark Knight, new Madonna, end of my BMW car payment, the London Olympics, and the end of the world! And by the grace of God, the return of the Patriots to the Superbowl (yes, my God cares about these things).

I am optimistic about this year, only because you kind of have to be optimistic on the first day of the year. If you are not optimistic this early in the year, you would just be fighting a losing battle the rest of the way. So with the renewed sense of purpose, I woke up checking off the first item on my calendar today - clean the kitchen. I then finished using the olives in the fridge and made a new batch of olive tapenade and also made some panna cotta for tonight's dessert. I paid some bills online, potted a plant, checked on the Patriots score (they won and will be top AFC seed throughout the playoffs) and am about to put the laundry in the washer. All the while, I didn't spend a dime and did not buy anything online.

So here are my resolutions for this year, which are likely to be abandoned soon enough. But that's alright - you always have to maintain hope and not give up on yourself. So it is better to at least make an effort with some resolutions instead of just plain not bother. You should always bother.

1. Spend less money. Stop buying stuff just because it's on sale. Speaking of which, I scored a 42 inch LG LCD tv for $200 yesterday. That's like better than Black Friday. Surely I don't need another tv - but $200 for a 42 inch!!! Thank goodness that was yesterday, all the back in the year 2011 - so my resolution is not broken yet.

2. Worry less about work. Really, it is so unproductive to fret. Just go in and do my best - that's all I need to do. Also, come home at a reasonable time and not check emails at night.

3. Sleep better. My sleep habit sucks big time. I need to go to sleep earlier and try not to wake up in the middle of the night.

4. Exercise and eat better. I didn't go to take my blood test this December cuz I ate so badly that I was really afraid my doc would put me on cholesterol med. I will go at end of January, so starting today, I will try to discipline myself.

5. Read and write and draw more. Something else I need to cultivate to become a renaissance man.

6. Purge. Live with less clutter. I am going to try to get rid of stuff instead of acquiring stuff. And stop collecting things. Action figures, dvds/blu rays, etc. This is gonna be hard, cuz Lego announced it is going to make LOTR collection this year...

7. Monitor my Honda better to avoid more troubles.

8. Clean more.

9. More outdoor time. Whatever that entails. I love being a homebody. I love my tv and my computer for sure. But the sun and outdoor air are good for the soul, and I need some soul nourishing.

10. Balance checkbook and file every month. It becomes such a chore when you let either of these tasks go for too long.

Every time I make a list of this sort, it reminds me of Radiohead song Fitter Happier from OK Computer. But I am still approaching this without any irony.