Prepping the New Year's Resolution

Well, the year has almost come to an end, so it is almost time to make my New Year's Resolution. This year, I have decided on "Be a better person." I know this sounds vague and generalized, but I actually have a detailed plan that I can break down into 6 parts:

1. Be a better citizen.
2. Be a better friend.
3. Be a better family member.
4. Be a better student.
5. Be a better artist.
6. Be a better body.

1. Be a better citizen.

In the coming year I will try to be a more active member of society. This means giving something back and participating in my community, doing what I can to make it a better place. To start, I plan on giving more money to charities. I don't have a lot of money to give, but I'd like to give a little to PBS/NPR, to the Humane Society, to Florida Manatee protection groups, to local arts organizations, and to the local Democratic Party. I've also considered starting my own non-profit, and if nothing else, I'll begin researching that this year. I'll also find time to do some actual community service. Money really isn't enough. I've been a very selfish person in the past couple years, and I need to find a way to give both time and resources.

There are also smaller things to which I need to dedicate myself. I need to mow my lawn more often and finish the decorative landscaping I half-assed a year ago. I also need to arrange to get the dead maple in my front yard cut down. Doing these things will make both my house and my neighborhood more attractive. I need to do a better job with recycling and planning my car trips so that they're more efficient and waste less gasoline. I need to waste less food and water and save more home energy.

2. Be a better friend.

I want to make more time for my friends. I actually spend a good amount of time with some of my friends, but only because it is convenient. I often go directly from class to dinner with the people I see several days a week anyway. This year I want to do a better job of spreading my time out more evenly. I've already discussed with a few people scheduling a standard time once a week or once a month where we'll get together and spend time together. I haven't bought birthday presents or even cards for my friends in several years. It is one thing to be poor, which I am, but it is another to be thoughtless. This year I will plan ahead and put thought into making my friends feel good about themselves. I will be more supportive and available.

3. Be a better family member.

Primarily, this means be a better husband, but it can also mean a better son, brother, and uncle. Just as I need to pay more attention to my friends, the same goes doubly for my family. In general I need to do a better job of communicating with them, visiting with them, and making them know they are loved.

Specifically, this year I will make more time for Angelyn. These past few months we've made a little more time together, and I want to continue that trend. I want to give her more gifts, more nights out together, and especially more nights in together. But I also need to do more around the house. This year I will keep a schedule of chores I need to do around the house. I will pull my weight more than I have in the past. I will contribute as much at home as I do in my other relationships and interests.

4. Be a better student.

This year I will spend more time on my studies. I'll read the assignments earlier, and complete my homework well before it is due. For several years I've completed most of my school work shortly before it was due. It has lead to a lot of unnecessary stress. This year I will focus hard on incorporating what I learn into my life. I will also be better organized, keep a stricter schedule, manage my time, keep my office neat and tidy, and find a way to be much more productive.

5. Be a better artist.

This year I will dedicate myself to my craft. I will write more. I will read more. I will think more about what I create. I will take my art projects seriously and give them time and attention. I will write several screenplays and also write essays, short stories, poems, and songs. I will read books to enrich myself. I will play the piano more, and not just fidgeting for fun but actively trying to improve my musical skills. I will TAKE MORE PICTURES. This is extremely important. It is easy for me to approach life in a literary life. I need to work harder at approaching it from a visual standpoint.

6. Be a better body.

This year I will eat better. In 2006, I dramatically limited the amount of fast food and soda I consumed in comparison to the year before. I need to continue that trend as well. My biggest vice right now is donuts. I don't believe in giving up foods you love, but I certainly need to cut down in a big way on my donut intake. I also need to exercise. Any exercise would be good. I also need to sleep more and take vitamins, and I need to go to the dentist.