I am not a big believer in New Year Resolutions, and for good reason. Most people don't really mean it when they say they'll do something. Why should I? Also, many resolutions have specific points on how to get their resolutions done. Other times, it's the lack of, well, resolve.

This year, I want to try something a little different, and a hell of a lot trickier. Off the mailing list of Neil Strauss, one of my favorite authors, is the idea to specifically nail in every detail of how you'll get resolutions done. And to actually write them down.

I figured there'd be a good blog post and story to go along with my year-end list, so I guess I can just hop to it and hope!


1.) Exercise, Training & Kendo
I have had a relatively good year in terms of exercise. I say this because the past years were utterly bad. This year I am making it a point to aim for 0 cuts in classes all year-round. This translates to something close to 100 hours of hard, high intensity exercise a year, with more depending on how long it takes. While this will certainly affect my life as a worker, a Days staffer, and as a family dude, I think I want to really give this a good go.

Also, I resolve to go jog, play basketball, get off my ass for at least twice a week, for an hour (inclusive of stretches and cool-down times), on Tuesdays and Thursdays or when applicable. If anything, it'll help relieve stress on stressful days.


2.) Food (volume)
I slashed my intake of rice tremendously, and so I hope to continue the trend. I hope to go cold turkey on rice, first for an initial target of four months straight. If I take, I'll reset the clock. After, we go from there, whether or not we push for up to five, or six, or into the whole year.

[I am not about to restrict what I eat - that's for next year. How much I eat is a good thing to start on.]


3.) Birthdays
I resolve to be a better friend by freaking remembering your birthdays! I ought to at least send a text, an email, or a Facebook/Friendster/Multiply/MySpace message to anybody and everybody in my network. It's only fair. I know I did a good amount of this for the past year, but there's always room for keeping up!

There are also people whose birthdays I do not now, as well as some of whom I am not close to. I resolve to try and greet them anyway. Adding a little extra cheer is for free.


4.) Planner Time
Still on the topic of dates, I resolve to use the Starbucks '09 planner I have and stick to it! I realize I tend to stop writing in appointments come April or May, so I hope to have a well-worn out planner by the end of the year by writing every little meeting, appointment, lunch out, party, training session, whatever!


5.) Checking Up on Friends
I used to do this a lot! I used to phone friends out of the blue come 7 or 8PM at odd evenings just to see how they were. I don't get to do this, not so much because I'm busy, but because I broke the habit and don't really try to reach out again.

Ergo, I resolve to try and text, phone, or write to at least one old friend a week, just to see how they're doing. That's 52 people in a year, and for sure I don't have that many close friends to catch up on! Hehe.

I'm not a text-message-sending person by default, and in turn I never know when to text and not to text, so I'll need your help on this one. If you are curious about what I am up to, please go ahead and say hi. It won't count, but at least I know you're reach-able that way.


6.) Sleep
I don't sleep right. I haven't slept right in years. Hell, right now I did not sleep the whole night, but dozed off for the whole morning before, as well as during that 5PM to 9PM swing.

So, I resolve to be a morning person, by targeting a sleep cycle of 10PM to 6AM everyday. My work life and health will probably pick up for the better once I get this right. I expect this to work at least for nights heading into Mondays through Fridays. I also expect to let myself slack off and take the weekend to puyat.


7.) Writing
High time I set benchmarks and goals! I target three features a week (two for work, one for whatever), a poem a month (for me) and at least two blog posts on this blog. I also target to journal on my notebooks at least twice a month, one on every other week, just to properly chronicle things. This will help give me and my writing the proper practice I need.

I also resolve to edit anything I write at least a day after I am done with it. It should help pick up the quality on whatever my output looks like.


8.) Blogging
A wise lady told me that your blog should stand for your beliefs, values, and who you are as a writer and as a person. In my line of work where I am slowly and surely exposed to greater public scrutiny, I have to do something. I therefore resolve to do two things: to clean up my blogs, so it can better be indicative of who I am, and to set up my online portfolio.

This should help not only streamline what comes up on a Google search about me. It should hopefully help people find me better, and to like what they see. And if anything, less swearing and profanity on the Internet is always a plus. (But I will still pepper my language when I find it necessary - I don't want to sell readers short and hold back.)


9.) The MA
Time to enroll in the higher education thing I had been putting aside. By the start of the new school year semester, I resolve to be taking my Masters degree, preferrably an MA in Comm or something along those lines. Also preferrably in Ateneo, since it's near the house. I have about four months to clean everything up, and if I don't get this done I'll kick myself.

The way I see it, I'll be turning 25 soon, I'll have my MA by 27 or so (while working, hopefully) and I'll move up to a new job, then maybe graduate with an MBA by 30 or 33. Ideal would be all degrees overseas, but I can't reach - grades weren't great for scholarships, nor can we afford much. So fine.


10.) Faith, Prayer, Almighty Shizz
I resolve to try and do stick to the original challenge - to hear mass at least twice a week, one on Sunday and another of my choosing. If anything, I hope it'll help detox my life.

I also resolve to set aside time to pray, for at least 10 minutes, two times a day, everyday. These are easily accomplished by shutting the radio when I drive, so I get to move around Manila in a higher state of consciousness. Hehe. Well now, didn't that sound nice.


11.) Saving Money
I resolve to reduce spending by bringing my own lunch everyday. That should enable me to spare at least another 100 pesos or so a day off food spending. It helps me avoid the unahan sa ulam rush that plagues our satellite canteen, and should ensure I eat healthier in the process.

While I don't think I can really go back to my old tight-fisted ways, I resolve to raise the amount I save by locking away 50% of all income as soon as I get paid. This will give me at least something to work with when payday arrives, and something to fall on if I do decide now is the time to splash cash on that new PlayStation 3 and Rock Band I want, or the kendo armor I need, or the Arsenal shirt I have been eyeing.


12.) Getting My Learn On
I resolve that by the end of Feburary, I will have a functional knowledge of Adobe PhotoShop, by hook or by crook. That means I can already use the application in a creative capacity. And I am a slow learner, but what the heck. I need this stuff.

I also resolve to learn how to take photographs properly! I must learn how to use my camera's myriad features by the end of March, just os I have some lead time. I think that should help improve some of the output I make for work and for myself in leaps and bounds (or at least in steps to the right direction).



Everyone, this list is really a masive experiment. I have never done this before, and if I do stick to this, my year will be all set. I do not know if I can really do this. What matters is that I do what I can.

Wish me well!