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Butter-stick
Jan. 4th, 2005 01:01 pm
So, how many people have broken New Year's Resolutions yet?
To be honest, I don't really know too many people who went for making them this year. More and more, there's been a trend against making promises everyone knows will be broken before the month is half through. There's a certain sense of logic in this, but I think the idea of New Year's Resolutions is actually a good one -- it's the methods we use to enact them that needs the work. So, instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater and some such, I decided to take a look at why we fail so horribly at actually sticking to all the things we resolve to do.
After a bit of thought, I decided to keep my resolutions really simple this year: broad, overreaching goals that can be broken down into a series of manageable steps. I think actually having a *plan* for attaining what you want to do is pretty damned crucial, and the biggest step people miss. More often than not, I've found that people who make resolutions go for the all-or-nothing approach that is hideously doomed to inevitable failure.
"Because it's a new year, I must be a new person." So we all wake up on January 1st (or the 2nd, depending on how bad the hangover is) determined to being this completely new us when really it's just the old us playing an elaborate game of pretend. We get an early start, do a bit of exercise, eat a good breakfast, and leave for work 15 minutes early, assured to get there on time. Then, as the first few days turn into the first few weeks of the year, we start flaking off all the shiny new habits we adopted so well for the last little while, until at last the old us is back and slouching in front of the TV by the first of February. We then make a little pact with ourselves that things will be different next year, but they never really are.
People by and large recognize the futility of this. I'm really not convinced to give up on the practice of resolving to be a better person, though to be honest picking January 1st is sorta arbitrary when it comes to that sort of thing. Really, you shouldn't *wait* to decide to stop being crappy, but now's as good a time as any I suppose.
Anyway, I have two levels of resolutions: the really big stuff that I'm actually going to focus on, and a few more little ones that I won't kill myself over if I don't make it.
The big stuff:
+ Read more. Mmm, don't get me wrong, I read quite a bit last year, but there are a lot of books that I don't really remember that well. There was a lot of amazing stuff that I incorporated into my world-view and make up, and I feel pretty good in general about the choices I make most of the time. Inspiration and ideas come from all around, though, and I think it's time to start veering away from the stuff I find the most comfortable (read: Zen books, sci-fi novels and the like) and begin to challenge myself with really different stuff that I've always been interested in. Poetry, physics and quantum theory, Western philosophy, mathematics and other "egghead" stuff. I think it's time to start following the links that folks leave in their LiveJournals as well. :)
+ Write more. This is the *biggest* one. There are way too many ideas in my head not to. I've made good strides last year with confidence and solidifying my voice and vision, and now it's time to build on that. My biggest outlet at the moment continues to be "Boomer Express," so that's where most of my early effort has gone. A bit about that:
Since I began writing for the comic, I've kind of shied away from being aggressive about solidifying the world and its characters, as well as making choices about where the over-arcing plot goes. (Trust me, there is one.) A lot of that came from not wanting to step on Tyrnn's toes (after all, it is his baby) and being generally inconfident in my abilities to make sure everything went where I imagined it would in terms of style, characterization and dialogue. There's also the still-lingering burn about having a good deal of my script changed earlier, so I decided it was best to just...be mellow in my approach to storytelling. My ego stings a lot when I invest a lot of myself into something and it seems to be disregarded, so I thought it might be easier for all involved to not...care about it so much.
To be honest, I'm not really happy with what I've been doing with BE. I really didn't have a clue about the main characters, or the story, or exactly what I was doing with this. There's always been this voice in the back of my head telling me I could do better with it. So now I'm going to make the concerted effort to try.
This year, I want to spend time setting things up a bit better. We've veered away quite a bit from the 'regular kangaroos just making deliveries' idea that Tyrnn had originally, but I don't think we've set up another theme in its place. I'd like to rectify this. I'm re-imagining it as a pandimensional delivery service, and putting things into place to make the transition. Putting a firmer grip on things like magic and the bit about the Dragons, demons and exactly how the multiverse...works. I'm not sure if Tyrnn is amenable to every idea I have, but he seems pretty cool with what I've told him so far. I've been writing up a lot of thematic stuff since I got back from MN, and hopefully I'll have it ready for him to review by this weekend.
Elsewhere, I have an idea for a Changeling game that I'll try to make happen later, several short stories I want to experiment with, and things are still coming together slowly for "Salvation." I have a better grasp of the look I want, and I'll be trying to put my finger on it later.
The little stuff:
+ Lose 15 pounds. Last I checked, I weighed about 165, which is a bit on the high side for me. I'm sure I'm well within healthy weight, but I'd like to lose the gut that too many McDonald's dinners have given me. More than anything, getting in shape takes priority over losing weight. I'm sure if I cut out fast food, sodas and pre-prepared stuff, it'll go a long way. When the weather gets a bit nicer, and I buy shoes without holes, I'll go running asap.
+ Be more certain. I consider myself to be pretty easygoing, and accepting of all sorts of points of view. I dislike debating because too often it doesn't seem like an attempt to understand or identify with another point of view, just screaming down those who disagree with you effectively. Not being...argumentative is different from being wishy-washy, though, and I need to learn to stick to my guns a bit better.
+ Meditate more often. Steadily work up to every day, but at least make more of an effort at first.
+ Right effort.
+ Right views.
And that's about it. I had more to say, but I do believe I should be getting back to work now. ;)
To be honest, I don't really know too many people who went for making them this year. More and more, there's been a trend against making promises everyone knows will be broken before the month is half through. There's a certain sense of logic in this, but I think the idea of New Year's Resolutions is actually a good one -- it's the methods we use to enact them that needs the work. So, instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater and some such, I decided to take a look at why we fail so horribly at actually sticking to all the things we resolve to do.
After a bit of thought, I decided to keep my resolutions really simple this year: broad, overreaching goals that can be broken down into a series of manageable steps. I think actually having a *plan* for attaining what you want to do is pretty damned crucial, and the biggest step people miss. More often than not, I've found that people who make resolutions go for the all-or-nothing approach that is hideously doomed to inevitable failure.
"Because it's a new year, I must be a new person." So we all wake up on January 1st (or the 2nd, depending on how bad the hangover is) determined to being this completely new us when really it's just the old us playing an elaborate game of pretend. We get an early start, do a bit of exercise, eat a good breakfast, and leave for work 15 minutes early, assured to get there on time. Then, as the first few days turn into the first few weeks of the year, we start flaking off all the shiny new habits we adopted so well for the last little while, until at last the old us is back and slouching in front of the TV by the first of February. We then make a little pact with ourselves that things will be different next year, but they never really are.
People by and large recognize the futility of this. I'm really not convinced to give up on the practice of resolving to be a better person, though to be honest picking January 1st is sorta arbitrary when it comes to that sort of thing. Really, you shouldn't *wait* to decide to stop being crappy, but now's as good a time as any I suppose.
Anyway, I have two levels of resolutions: the really big stuff that I'm actually going to focus on, and a few more little ones that I won't kill myself over if I don't make it.
The big stuff:
+ Read more. Mmm, don't get me wrong, I read quite a bit last year, but there are a lot of books that I don't really remember that well. There was a lot of amazing stuff that I incorporated into my world-view and make up, and I feel pretty good in general about the choices I make most of the time. Inspiration and ideas come from all around, though, and I think it's time to start veering away from the stuff I find the most comfortable (read: Zen books, sci-fi novels and the like) and begin to challenge myself with really different stuff that I've always been interested in. Poetry, physics and quantum theory, Western philosophy, mathematics and other "egghead" stuff. I think it's time to start following the links that folks leave in their LiveJournals as well. :)
+ Write more. This is the *biggest* one. There are way too many ideas in my head not to. I've made good strides last year with confidence and solidifying my voice and vision, and now it's time to build on that. My biggest outlet at the moment continues to be "Boomer Express," so that's where most of my early effort has gone. A bit about that:
Since I began writing for the comic, I've kind of shied away from being aggressive about solidifying the world and its characters, as well as making choices about where the over-arcing plot goes. (Trust me, there is one.) A lot of that came from not wanting to step on Tyrnn's toes (after all, it is his baby) and being generally inconfident in my abilities to make sure everything went where I imagined it would in terms of style, characterization and dialogue. There's also the still-lingering burn about having a good deal of my script changed earlier, so I decided it was best to just...be mellow in my approach to storytelling. My ego stings a lot when I invest a lot of myself into something and it seems to be disregarded, so I thought it might be easier for all involved to not...care about it so much.
To be honest, I'm not really happy with what I've been doing with BE. I really didn't have a clue about the main characters, or the story, or exactly what I was doing with this. There's always been this voice in the back of my head telling me I could do better with it. So now I'm going to make the concerted effort to try.
This year, I want to spend time setting things up a bit better. We've veered away quite a bit from the 'regular kangaroos just making deliveries' idea that Tyrnn had originally, but I don't think we've set up another theme in its place. I'd like to rectify this. I'm re-imagining it as a pandimensional delivery service, and putting things into place to make the transition. Putting a firmer grip on things like magic and the bit about the Dragons, demons and exactly how the multiverse...works. I'm not sure if Tyrnn is amenable to every idea I have, but he seems pretty cool with what I've told him so far. I've been writing up a lot of thematic stuff since I got back from MN, and hopefully I'll have it ready for him to review by this weekend.
Elsewhere, I have an idea for a Changeling game that I'll try to make happen later, several short stories I want to experiment with, and things are still coming together slowly for "Salvation." I have a better grasp of the look I want, and I'll be trying to put my finger on it later.
The little stuff:
+ Lose 15 pounds. Last I checked, I weighed about 165, which is a bit on the high side for me. I'm sure I'm well within healthy weight, but I'd like to lose the gut that too many McDonald's dinners have given me. More than anything, getting in shape takes priority over losing weight. I'm sure if I cut out fast food, sodas and pre-prepared stuff, it'll go a long way. When the weather gets a bit nicer, and I buy shoes without holes, I'll go running asap.
+ Be more certain. I consider myself to be pretty easygoing, and accepting of all sorts of points of view. I dislike debating because too often it doesn't seem like an attempt to understand or identify with another point of view, just screaming down those who disagree with you effectively. Not being...argumentative is different from being wishy-washy, though, and I need to learn to stick to my guns a bit better.
+ Meditate more often. Steadily work up to every day, but at least make more of an effort at first.
+ Right effort.
+ Right views.
And that's about it. I had more to say, but I do believe I should be getting back to work now. ;)
