belated resolutions

Last year was the first that I made new year's resolutions. I was a neat experience because by reminding me later of what I had in mind diving into the new year, they kept me focused. And indeed, most resolutions were carried through the year and archived as accomplished in December.

This year, I decided to continue what I've started and make it a tradition. As New Year's Day and the night preceding it are a time of exuberance, it's best not to make resolutions right then. A week or two later, the most ambitious intentions might look decidedly out of reach. Now, ten days into the new year and with contemplation having subdued the folly, is a better time.

In God's Child's blog, I read a reflective piece about the meaning of the word resolution. Obviously, we resolve to do something, to reach a goal or complete a project. On the other hand, we should also take the opportunity to solve problems that trouble us and have, in the past, prevented us from realizing our dreams and made the difficult look impossible.

This blog is a fictionalization of who I really am, and as long as my problems are not of general interest, I shall not reveal them, not even fictionalized. But let me say that my main resolution for 2009 is to make up my mind about my career. Before this year is over, I shall know for sure and with conviction what path I will follow, be it academic science, industry, writing, or some of the various other options that spook around my head during those opaque moments between going to bed and falling asleep. To achieve this, I will have to sort out a lot of issues. I must become clear about my passions and honest to myself about my expectations. What can I realistically hope to achieve? Once I'm confident about it, I will take the answer to this question, set my sights on something slightly higher and never look back.

This was the philosophical part of this post. Now comes the prosaic, shortened for fear of repetitiousness. Not only will I run another marathon this year, I will run it in less than three hours. I will travel, either to see new countries and discover cultures I'm ignorant of or simply to see places I don't know. Instead of learning Spanish, as was my goal last year, I'll devote time to the study of Arabic. Maybe by the time my sister and I go Syria, I'll be able to have a two-sentence conversation with a local.

I will read more books than I buy. It has become an obsession of mine to never pass by an Oxfam store without dropping in and carrying out a new read. This year, to make the challenge realistic, I shall finish more books than I add to my shelf. With my eyes in a good dozen books at the moment, this should be an easy feat. On the right I will document my progress.

Lastly, though most importantly and in clear dominance over anything else, I shall be happy. I have been lucky in my life, most of my decisions have be auspicious, and those that weren't can always been seen in the rosy light of nostalgia. My world is a good place, and I'm happy to be here. How can this year not be a good one?