Goals and New Year's Resolutions

Every year, it's the same - a lofty resolutions that are typically forgotten in a matter of weeks, or even days, all of which serve to remind us of how stuck we are in our current patterns. Maybe it's best that we don't actually have "New Year's Resolutions" and instead focus on long-term and short-term goals that aren't tied to a new year, so that there won't be necessarily any disappointment or frustration if they can't be attained.

Anyway, this is just so I have some level of semi-permanent record and statement, so my nearest and dearest have something to bug me about if I happen to be slacking off in any way (subtle hint). One thing I also noticed is that in order to attain goals, specific plans to meet those goals must be used and then followed.

Things that are conceivably attainable within a few months:

1. Master specific Capoeira and other acrobatic movements (Wallflip, Folha Seca, Armada Dupla). Plan: practice, study on technique, and soliciting advice.
2. Find a new job in my field. Plan: network more often, do volunteer work with organizations, get name out there, keep my portfolio current, keep my writing, design, and editing skills sharp any way I can.
3. Clean apartment. I'll do that as soon as I finish writing this. Plan: do dishes first, finish laundry (including fold and store), tidy work/computer area.
   

Ongoing habits:

1. Become more comprehensive in Brazilian Portuguese. Plan: complete WikiBooks course, complete Teach Yourself Portuguese book, ask more questions of native Portuguese speakers, watch/read more Portuguese media.
   
2. Learn at least one Capoeira song in Portuguese a month. Plan: practice at home, learn more vocabulary and grammar in Portuguese so that I can memorize easier with better understanding
3. Take much less crap from people. Plan: pay more attention, be more cognizant of what people are saying and putting myself in more social situations to prepare myself for when similar situations arise.
4. Get in the habit of maintaining a certain level of cleanliness and organization. Plan: Put away everything once I'm done with it, develop an organizing system for everything from documents to trash.
5. Feel better about self. Plan: see #3.
6. Develop better time management skills. Plan: do things according to priority, dedicate specific blocks of time to specific tasks, do not interrupt task to do something else, reward self with "fun" tasks.
7. Get better at networking. Plan: Go to more events, keep up to date with older contacts, treat everyone with respect, and do exactly what I say I will do.
   

Lofty goals

1. Save up sufficient cash to go travelling, specifically to visit cousin in Australia. This may take a bit more time. Plan: Get better job, develop better spending and budgeting habits, remove unnecessary expenditures.
2. Earn Azul Escuro (dark blue) belt in Capoeira. Considering that I already bypassed Amarelo Claro (dark yellow) in the 2006 Batizado, I should count my blessings. Plan: learn more songs in Portuguese, ask about teaching introduction classes at the academy, develop better skills with Portuguese.

Generally useless on the grand-scheme-of-life but cool to do anyway for self-improvement purposes

1. Guitar music - learn more songs and techniques. Master two handed tapping to properly play classically inspired compositions on electric, such as attempting Pachabel's Canon in D. Although I don't expect to be going along the same level of FunTwo... Plan: spend about 30 minutes per day (time usually spent surfing the 'net or just goofing off) practicing and learning, preferably right before going to bed.
   
2. Puzzle solving - I really don't know how much smarter this makes me...much like IQ tests, they are only indicitive of how one is good at doing IQ tests. But, getting my Rubik's Cube solving time to an average of 40 seconds is easily conceivable. I'm already at about a minute. Plan: memorize two or three last layer algorithms per week while on transit (80 minute round trip).
   

Now, off to start my year off right...hey, there's something good on TV! Maybe a little later.

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