New Year’s Eve, 2004. Interesting.
What to do, what to do…
I could make some resolutions, but instead I’m going to make some commentary on resolutions. What’s up with that? Well, in western culture it seems like we put a lot of stock in dates. Especially annual dates (anniversaries, birthdays, new years, and so on). A new year is born, so why not a new you?
The problem is, most people don’t want it enough. They make resolutions that they aren’t really into, because it makes them feel like they done something…resolute. But when it comes down to it…they’ve just made the resolution to make them feel like they’ve done something….and when it comes to the implementation…well…
First, they make resolutions that are too concrete: Lose 30 lbs. Then they try to do it all at once. Then January 15 rolls around and they’ve only lost 2 pounds, and they figure at this rate it’s never going to happen, and it becomes increasingly easier to sleep late and not go to the gym.
Then, learning from last year’s mistake, they go the other way and make a resolution that’s too ethereal. Get in shape. But what the hell does that mean? What kind of shape? There’s nothing real to shoot for. And it becomes increasingly easier to sleep late and not go to the gym.
So I’m doing my resolutions a little different this year. This is kind of a milestone year for me. First, tonight is the 5th anniversary of the dissolution of my marriage. The actual divorce came sometime later, but the break-point was New Year’s Eve 1999 when she informed me she had moved out some time between the time I left the house in the morning and came back in the afternoon, and then walked out the door. Yeah yeah, shitty timing, but maybe that was her New Year’s resolution, so I can’t fault her for it. So in 20 minutes, I’m going to do what I did that night, and on the New Year’s Eves between then and now: Drink a bottle of champagne, watch a movie, and go to bed. And then I’m going to resolve that next year, I’m breaking this tradition. This year, I plan to…get back on the horse.
Second, at midnight, I’m going to have the last cigarette in my pack. I’m having the second-to-last right now as a matter of fact. *pause to find lighter*. Now the thing with smoking…I’ve quit before for as long as 9 months. I’ve been smoking pretty much since I was 20. I’m now 27. Whenever I’ve quit, it hasn’t been such a big deal, and whenever I’ve come back, it’s been a choice I made. I quit for 9 months in 1998 when I moved to Boston. Had no problems. Then I got a new boss who smoked…and one day I said “what the hell, I’ll go outside and bum a smoke from him”. And I started smoking again. I quit again a couple years ago for about 6 months. I started up again because my job was mind-numbingly boring, and it was a two block walk to the store to get some smokes, which got me out of my cube for 20 minutes. I have never quit on a new year resolution though. And I’m not really this year either. I’m resolving to not smoke tomorrow. And every day I resolve to make the same resolution. Not smoking tomorrow. I may have one here or there, I don’t know, but I’m going to resolve, day by day, not to smoke. That’s the plan. I’ll keep you posted.
I used to be in great shape. I played soccer and football. I could run a mile in under 5 minutes. I could leg press over 1200 lbs. I could bench press over 200 lbs. I weighed 185 lbs and had 10% body fat. I will never get to that point again. As of right now, I weigh 245 and am at about 28% body fat. I’m not pleased with this. My realistic goal that I’m shooting for is 210 and 20%. The reality is, if I get to 210 I’ll be well below 20%, but that’s my goal. It’s attainable. I’d be stupid if I said I could get back to what I was at my peak. And I’d fail miserably. This, however, is something I can do. And like the smoking one, I just really am resolving to bend my flesh to my spirit’s will…and I like a challenge. I’ll keep you posted.
Other resolutions…I plan to continue a resolution that I made earlier this year, which is to read more non-computer books, and watch less TV. I used to read a metric assload of books. But you know how it is…you get into programming and your reading time is stuffed with keeping up with the newest stuff. But I’ve been doing well. This year I’ve read a bunch of non-computer books, including The DaVinci Code, Angels & Demons, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Art of the Deal, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and a bunch more. I plan to continue that. I’ve cut my TV watching way down. I have it on a lot, but really just for background noise. I rarely just sit and watch TV anymore…except for when I really just need to veg.
I also have some things I want to do this year. These aren’t resolutions so much as things to try and fit in:
- Blog more code stuff to fill in around the fluff (like this)
- Learn compact framework programming
- Go back to learning a foreign language (probably German)
- Build an Arcade machine (I will be blogging this for sure)
- Take a vacation. I haven’t done this…an actual vacation…well…ever.
So…that’s how the SharpSide is ringing in the new year. Hope everyone has a happy and safe one and that all your resolutions stick.