I’ve always been big on New Year’s Resolutions. Being quite imperfect, I love the idea of fresh starts, wiping the slate clean at the end of a year, sure that I’ll be better in the next. I’m also a big believer in going public with your goals, because it helps you to achieve them. That said, more than a few of my past resolutions have fallen by the wayside well before Valentine’s Day. So it is with a mixture of hopefulness and trepidation that I set down my resolutions for 2009. Here goes…
This year, I will:
- Write a blog post at least once a week. See, this one’s already quite scary, since this is my first post in almost three weeks.
- Dress more professionally when I fly. Because so many of my flights are 8+ hours or overnighters, I’ve fallen into dressing for comfort, and generally arrive looking like a refugee. Todd Hattori’s recent post on the topic was the kick-in-the-backside I needed.
- Catch up on (and keep up with) other people’s podcasts and blogs. As I write, I’ve got a backlog of several hours of podcasts that I really want to hear (including FIR, one of the best sources of information for comms professionals, by our very own Shel Holtz, ABC & Neville Hobson, ABC). And over the holidays I was really bad about keeping up with blogs. If I’d just keep up, it would be more manageable.
- Exercise 5 days a week (delayed start of 20 Jan). This sounds really huge, given that I’m going from practically zero days a week, but I’m using a reasonable definition of a minimum workout time of 20 minutes, and by the end of January, I should have my new home gym all set up, so most of my excuses will be gone. The treadmill is scheduled for delivery on the 17th, by which time the room will be finished, and I already bought the all-important telly that will go in it (which takes away the boredom excuse).
Alright, that’s it. And no fair placing bets on how long before I abandon any of them.
Anyone else want to share their resolutions? I won’t turn this into another blog meme chain, but if you do decide to do a similar post, please leave a comment with the link. Maybe we can encourage each other to stick to them. 
Update: Minutes after posting, I followed a tweet-link to a great post by Michael Allison on 5 Tips for Sticking to Your Web 2.0 Resolution. It’s worth a read for anyone setting social media goals.
Barb:
Keeping up with a regular blogging routine is something I’ve struggled with. But like anything else, you have to commit to it, make it a priority, and make sure it gets done, no matter what other distractions come your way. I’ve set an ambitious goal of at least 5 blog posts per week across a few different sites, and I’m doing reasonably well (I get to discount holidays, right?).
Now as for getting back into exercising, well … 2009 will be the year for me, too! Really, it will.
Bryan | @BryanPerson
One other funny note: At church yesterday, the visiting pastor said he starts heading to the gym in March each year. By then, most of the New Year’s resolution folks have given up for another year, and he doesn’t have to wait in long lines for the machines.
Ah, the dreaded annual “things I will do” list. While shopping in Canada, we saw a window display that “things I won’t do” list. So, that’s the approach I took for 2009. I’ll follow your example and post them on A Seat at the Bar. Cheers!
Hi Bryan. 5 posts a week is hugely ambitious. Sounds like you’ve got much more self-discipline than me. I’m takin’ baby steps with my resolutions. Maybe that way I’ll exceed them instead of abandoning when I can’t achieve them. I’ll let you know if it works.
Good luck, Barb - I envy you the home gym!And Bryan - 5 posts a week would be amazing - go for it!
I decided to try a different approach to resolutions this year since I too suffer from the usual human inability to stick to them. Instead of picking specific things to do, I have a theme for the year of ” Make conscious choices” which I hope will help me stay on track with the eating (less) and the writing (more)and generally being more present in relationships with my family and my clients. I’m hoping that having a theme will mean I can apply a wholesome discipline across my whole life without having to focus too much on not eating chocolate and rebelling against the denial! Wish me luck
Indeed! Good luck Barb. I’m with Alison - I’m a theme gal. This year is Year of Zen. Really. Truly. Chill : )
[…] Fixation (Mark Starr’s Trifecta Mashup) 17. My Digital Enemy – Flamenco Loco (LYS Remix My Hopeful (or is that hopeless?) New Year’s Resolutions - barbgibson.x.iabc.com 01/05/2009 [ Treadmill] I’ve always been big on New Year’s Resolutions […]
Instead of watching the telly on the treadmill, why not listen to your podcasts and kill two resolutions with one stone?
Great idea, Kristen, and it will be especially easy, because my new telly has an iPod port built-in!
Barb–I’m jealous! I’d love a treadmill in my home. Enjoy the convenience!
[…] earlier this week, while doing my morning workout (yes, I’m still keeping up with that New Year’s Resolution, the blogging one not so much). I had ventured beyond the manual settings on the treadmill to one […]