Rebecca's resolutions for 2008!

[rebecca_in_blue]

For me, the best thing about a new year is giving out my book awards! But I think my book awards for 2007 might be harder than usual. For previous years, there have been obvious choices for Best and Worst Overall, but this year, no books really stand out as obvious choices for anything. I am going to look over my 2007 list very carefully and try to post the awards in a few days. Until then, I’m posting my New Year’s Resolutions, in the hope that if everybody knows what they are, I’ll feel more obliged to actually do them.

• This year, stick to your resolutions past the first two weeks of January.
• Be more open to new experiences, and try things that you’ve never done before. Look into learning to cook or knit or some other productive activity that you could do in your spare time.
• Write more – in your paper journal, your LiveJournal, and in your fiction. Look into participating in NaNoWriMo in November.
• Make a serious and conscious effort to get along with all members of your family, even the ones you piss you off.
• Sometime this year, buy five different members of your family a nice gift for no reason at all.
• Exercise more, and start riding your bike regularly again. I fell out of this habit after I moved away from Baton Rouge and it’s beautiful bike path on top of the Mississippi River levy.
• Don’t be so cheap. I’ve gotten better at this while I’ve been in France, but I still have a long way to go before I feel comfortable spending large amounts of money (and for me, large amounts are anything over ten dollars).
• If you can, find some volunteer program to get involved with in your spare time.
• Spend less time on the Internet, and more specifically, spend less time on YouTube. I think this one is going to be very difficult, because I’ve gotten so spoiled here in France. The lycée’s computer room is open 24/7, and we assisstants have almost 24/7 access to it.
• Address people by their names more often. This feels a little awkward, because usually we only use people’s names when we want their attention. But I heard on John Tesh’s radio show that using people’s names when you don’t need to – Thanks, Marlene. See you later, Heather. – makes them feel acknowledged and appreciated.
• At no time, during 2008 and for the rest of your life, never again get your hair cut in a style that looks like a combination of Hillary Clinton and Madame C. It doesn't matter how many relatives tell you it looks good, or how many wigs Locks of Love can make out your old hair. Just don't do it.