Once again we have a new year before us. In fact, a new decade. As this year draws to a close, I think the title of this post captures my feelings towards it perfectly. 2009 just wasn't a good year for me. I won't get into everything that was wrong with it, but suffice to say it was probably my worst year ever. Don't get me wrong; there were some good things that happened, but all in all it was fairly rotten throughout.
As I embark upon this new year, I am tempted to make a list of resolutions and make all kinds of bold proclamations about how I am going to change all kinds of stuff in my life and this is going to be the best year ever. But I am not big on resolutions, as they usually fall by the wayside by the second week of January. Also, there are so many things that are out of my control, and I would be a fool to proclaim things that may never come to pass. Let's face it, crap happens. And for all I know, 2010 may be an even crappier year than 2009.
However, there are a few things that I am committed to strive to improve upon during this new year, and if they affect the quality of the year, then I can be happy with that. Here are a few of the things of concern to me:
1. Be a better husband and dad. I think this is something I will never be perfect at, but I am sure as hell going to try for improvement. This is what life boils down to for me, and it has to be at the top of my list.
2. Start writing more. This is something that I have a strong desire to do and began to experiment with this past year (one of the few good things from this year). I am tempted to make commitments to a word count per day, a number of days to write per week, etc. However, I don't feel I am in position to make those commitments. Life is busy, especially working and having a family with two small children. However, I am committed to improve my writing skills and to start doing it regularly. This is what has been sorely lacking the past few months. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect to be the next Stephen King or Brian Keene, but I don't want to look back 30 years from now and say, "Man, I wish..."
3. Read more. I believe this goes hand-in-hand with writing, and I did make positive strides in this department in 2009. I read 46 books, by far the most in my life. However, I feel this can be greatly improved upon and it will in turn improve my writing. Cutting out wasted time such as watching so much TV would definitely help with both this goal and my writing goal. This is going to be very difficult for me, as I am addicted to a number of different TV shows and I love watching movies. However, for me to improve upon goals that I think will give me much more sastisfaction, it is a thing I will have to give up.
4. Spend money smarter. We live in tough times right now. This has been a very difficult subject for me this past year, and I don't see circumstances changing a lot in the near future. So I need to better control my impulse spending and just be plain smart about my money. If I don't need it, don't buy it!
These are my main areas of focus for this new year. I know, it may sound pretty bland and not seem like a big deal, but these things are a big deal to me. And when it boils down to it, I am committed to pursue happiness for me and my family. And I believe these things will bring some of that to us.
So, 2009, good riddance! And hello 2010!
Happy New Year to everyone, and I wish you and yours a safe, happy, and prosperous new year!
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