Perhaps it’s due to the increased initiative one acquires upon age (hah!), or perhaps it’s due to the life skills stuff I’ve been learning at the Broadview Centre (how to plan goals, figure out your values, become a better person overall, etc.) but I have a feeling that this year I’ll be able to stick to my New Year’s Resolutions much more successfully in previous years.
It helps that this year I’ve defined them a lot more, and have already taken steps to make them longer-lasting. So without further ado, here are my resolutions for 2008, and what I’ve done to make them stick.
- Exercise more and lose weight: I’ve signed up for a Yoga class at the local community center, which is also equipped with a weight room. I’ve bought a 3-month pass for the weight room (at a cheaper price since I’m opting to use it during non-prime-time hours), and to make sure I get the most benefit out of it, I’ve signed up for a personal assessment with one of the trainers there to see how fit I am and to help me determine my weight-loss/fitness goals and make an exercise plan. The assessment is tomorrow afternoon. My goal at this point is to work out at the weight room twice a week.
- Better dental hygiene: I know this seems both too pedestrian and bordering on “too much information,” but I’m really bad about brushing and flossing my teeth. Lately my gums have been getting really sore where they hit my molars in the back, and the pain is distracting. Basically, I want it to go away.
- Find a place to volunteer: I think volunteering is a great thing, but lately I haven’t put my money where my mouth is (Considering #2 above, that’s probably a good idea! Do you have any idea how absolutely filthy currency is?). So now, I’m looking for places to volunteer with, and so far I’ve found something really promising: the Daily Bread Food Bank needs volunteers to conduct its annual survey of food bank users. And the best part is that even though the DBFB facility is all the way on the other side of town, they need volunteers to canvas all the food banks in the city, so there’s no long commute involved. Plus, my past Census experience (ugh) should be somewhat handy. I’m attending an information session about this a little less than two weeks from now.
- Finish my computer training, get IC3 and MOS-certified, and hopefully learn how to use MS Access: Well, this is what I’m commuting to do every morning.
- Get a full-time job: Enough said. I’ve been out of a job for almost 3 months now, and I’ve got student loans to pay off. Luckily I’ve got money saved up in the bank and mom’s not charging me any rent.
- Go out more with friends: I have to admit it – I’m a shut in. Playing WoW a lot doesn’t help that, so I’m trying to break the habit by initiating contact and get-togethers with my friends more. So far, I’m planning to go bowling with some of them next weekend.
This list is somewhat lengthy, but I also realize that there are a lot of ways I could improve myself. I’m trying to take steps to work on me, and for the first time in years I’ve got free time to do it, away from the necessities of school and work. Here’s hoping to my success!
