I have always hated the idea of New Year’s Resolutions. First, I get geeky about it and think it’s lame to make them just because the calendar happened to flip – why wait until then, or choose that specific day? Why not an April 17th Resolution? Which, of course, leads me to “why resolutions anyway”, why not just realize there is a problem and fix it, without some grand statement made at the start of the calendar year? Bah, humbug says me.

Until this year. Ah, Eric the hypocrite. I can’t defend it, but this year, as I thought about my hatred of the New Year’s Resolution, I started thinking of all the things I’d like to do differently, or make happen, or make some grand proclamation to do for the upcoming calendar year. So, well, crap, here goes my resolutions for 2008…

  1. Read more.
    My reading patterns go up and down all the time. The most I’ve ever read was about a book a month when I was taking the bus/rail in DC every day. So, that sounds like a good goal – read an average of one book a month in 2008. I plan to read a blend of fiction and non-fiction, I’ve got a reading list in-place already, thanks to the generosity of friends and family during the holidays. Here is what is on the book shelf as of today:

    • Summerland, The Final Story, and The Yiddish Policeman’s Union – all three by Michael Chabon. Should be interesting to read the same author for a while, I’ve never done that, and I loved Kavalier and Klay.
    • The Invention of Solitude, and City of Glass – both by Paul Auster.
    • Jackie Robinson: A Biography – Arnold Rampersad
    • The Soul of Baseball – Joe Posnanski
    • My Life – Bill Clinton (Dad just had a heart attack)
  2. Finish Software Projects.
    Sigh. I’ve got at least a half-dozen projects either sitting in my head or further along (some even have art and some code done). I really need to get off my bum and get some projects finished. I plan to take it out of my own hands a little bit and bite the bullet and hire a cheap developer (entry-level type) to knock out some of the projects so I can throw them at the wall and see if any stick (and, ahem, use some of them, because the majority are things I need!). Finish and release 5 software projects in 2008.
  3. I really miss playing ball.
    I really do miss playing baseball/softball. I’m not as crazy about softball, but it’s more socially fun (softball = beer) and a lot easier to find a league to play on, and requires much less “remembering how to play”. That said, I really do still want to look into playing baseball on some adult league team (a scrub one!). Play baseball or softball in a league.

I think that’s enough. I would love to add things like “be healthy” and “lose weight”, but I’m still too much of a resolution hater for those types of generic things. Hopefully not having a car and riding my bike everywhere will be a big help in taking care of the newfound chub.

The common thread in all three above are that they require time… and effort. Both of which I tend to lack. I guess it’s not worth striving for if it’s going to be easy…