New Year's Resolutions

I love New Year’s resolutions. Last year I made three, one that I kept (paid off my debt), one that I kept for part of the year (Pilates video workout every day), and one that failed miserably (submit a manuscript). I think NYRs can even affect my mood. I blogged about feeling the blahs in December, which I attributed to winter blues. However, I think it might actually have been end-of-the-year blues. In December, I always reflect on all the things I didn’t accomplish and all the goals I left unmet. January brings a fresh start.

Like many others, I will announce a theme for 2008: Gettin’ It Done (I wonder if Profgrrrl knows how influential she is?). 2008 needs to be about finishing some work so I can a. not go crazy from frustration and b. graduate someday. I like the theme idea, but I think the best resolutions involve very specific goals which can be assessed and, more importantly, are manageable size. It's fine to say you're going to lose weight, but it's also important to say how you will go about losing the weight. So, here are mine:

• Project Efficiency. The idea here is that I will be really focused and work really hard when I’m at work and then not feel guilty for not working when I get home. Any extra work beyond five 8-hour days will be bonus. It has several parts:
  1. No doing work that isn’t really work. Like searching for a semi-necessary image for a presentation 3 hours. I know when I’m giving myself excuses.
  2. At the end of each day, setting goals for the next day. These should be reasonable, not lofty, because I don’t want to feel like crap every day when I don’t finish my to-do list. I want to feel good because my daily accomplishments are transparent.
  3. Reduced procrastination. I've finally realized what grief procratination causes me and I resolve to keep that in mind whenver I want to put something off.
  4. And the hardest part: NO BLOGGING AT WORK. No checking bloglines, or my counter, or my blog email, none of it.


• Money
  1. Build my savings to 3 months’ expenses. This will be very challenging because of the two overseas trips we have planned. If I can at least not be in debt due to those, I guess I’ll be satisfied
  2. Start an IRA. I have no goals for the amount, I just want to have something started for retirement. There’s still lots of time for it to build, so anything I save now is great.
  
• Heath
  1. Cook full meals for dinner at least three times per week. This will contribute to the savings goals (synergy!). Ecogeoman will be onboard with this one too, since he wants to get very serious about Weight Watchers this year. He has be doing it for a few months, but not really taking it all to heart. He wants to lose weight for the tux he’ll have to wear in July’s wedding. See, it’s not only women who have this kind of goal!
  2. Start eating chicken again. I’ve been mostly vegetarian since 2002 but I’m finding it increasingly annoying. We often have dinner at friends’ houses and it’s really hard to ask people to make something special for me or to bring my own food, which feels rude. Beef and pork are completely unappealing, but chicken is alright and I think it will help me with part 1. I stopped eating meat in the first place because I felt it was ecologically unsustainable and that the meat production system was filthy. I’m (mostly) okay with free range, organic meat and it is becoming more widely available. I think chicken on the order of once per week would be good. Ecogeoman would certainly appreciate it.
  3. I’d love to make an exercise resolution, but I know I won’t keep it because it doesn’t feel like a hard and fast priority right now. I don’t want to make goals that I don’t think I can keep because I don’t want to set myself up to fail.
  
• Work
  1. Project Efficiency
  2. Submit 2 papers for publication
  i. The one I resolved to submit last year but didn’t
  ii. Another one
  3. Finish lab work for Chapter 2
  4. Finish lab work for Chapter 3
  5. Have lab work for Chapter 4 solidly started, or have decided to ditch Chapter 4. I’d like to resolve to finish lab work for Chapter 4 too, but I’m not sure it’s possible.

I will report my progress here every month for the rest of the year. I’m serious about these resolutions!