New Year's Resolutions
May you all have a sweet and happy new year!
I have decided that this seems like a good time to start making resolutions. I don't usually make any on the various new years in my calendar, but i often think about what they would be if i made any. But i realized, that if i actually wanted them to have any effect, i ought to write them down and tell people, so at least my sense of pride/shame would keep me to them better.
1. Be in better contact with friends and family.
I miss you all, but i only manage to communicate with those who use instant messaging on a regular basis. I want to write more letters, both email and paper ones, and call my family more. It's not that expensive on my cellphone to make a few minute call now and again. And if it's my cellphone, i really don't have the excuse of the time difference, because there are many times when i am awake when they are at home. I also intend to post here more often, even if i think my life is boring, or if i already told someone the whole story. Not that i think you are all hanging on my every word, but i want to share my life more with people i care about.
2. Figure this whole Grad School thing out.
If i'm applying this year, i should already have scheduled a GRE (is nov 11th too late to get scores to places in december? does the GRE score also have to be in by the posted application deadline?) and be looking for people to get recommendations from (since it's been several years since i was in school, can i use professional references? i don't really remember most of my college teachers...)
3. No eating after 10pm on weeknights.
This has two reasons. One, i don't sleep well if i have recently fed, and i have been having trouble getting to sleep and getting enough sleep these days. Two, i wouldn't mind being less soft, and it seems that this would help. I already lead a reasonably active and healthy lifestyle, so there isn't a lot else i do in my schedule towards this goal. I wanted to say after 9pm but two nights a week i get home around 9pm, and often am ravenous. But i sometimes delay getting food ready until i've checked email and stuff. So i hope that if i have a public deadline hanging over me, i'll manage to feed before plugging my brain in.
4. Use train time more effectively.
I spend a total of several hours a week on the train. Usually i just read mindless fantasy novels (when i have them, which i do right now, thanks shanzig !) But i have a few study books for the JLPT and GRE, so i should be using them. The annoying thing about the GRE one is that it's got magazine sized pages, so it's hard to read on a crowded train. And it's heavy enough that i'm not fond of dragging it to and from school and other work. But that's just an excuse. The JLPT books are small enough to take anywhere... and maybe some hot Japanese guy will notice me reading in Japanese and will be unscared enough to talk to me? Heh.
5. Stretch every night.
Situps and stuff would be good too, but those i won't worry about doing every night. But the other day i totally messed up my neck sneezing shortly after waking up. I think making sure i go to sleep properly loosened up will help keep that from happening, and also help me sleep better.
That seems like enough to keep track of at this time.
I have decided that this seems like a good time to start making resolutions. I don't usually make any on the various new years in my calendar, but i often think about what they would be if i made any. But i realized, that if i actually wanted them to have any effect, i ought to write them down and tell people, so at least my sense of pride/shame would keep me to them better.
1. Be in better contact with friends and family.
I miss you all, but i only manage to communicate with those who use instant messaging on a regular basis. I want to write more letters, both email and paper ones, and call my family more. It's not that expensive on my cellphone to make a few minute call now and again. And if it's my cellphone, i really don't have the excuse of the time difference, because there are many times when i am awake when they are at home. I also intend to post here more often, even if i think my life is boring, or if i already told someone the whole story. Not that i think you are all hanging on my every word, but i want to share my life more with people i care about.
2. Figure this whole Grad School thing out.
If i'm applying this year, i should already have scheduled a GRE (is nov 11th too late to get scores to places in december? does the GRE score also have to be in by the posted application deadline?) and be looking for people to get recommendations from (since it's been several years since i was in school, can i use professional references? i don't really remember most of my college teachers...)
3. No eating after 10pm on weeknights.
This has two reasons. One, i don't sleep well if i have recently fed, and i have been having trouble getting to sleep and getting enough sleep these days. Two, i wouldn't mind being less soft, and it seems that this would help. I already lead a reasonably active and healthy lifestyle, so there isn't a lot else i do in my schedule towards this goal. I wanted to say after 9pm but two nights a week i get home around 9pm, and often am ravenous. But i sometimes delay getting food ready until i've checked email and stuff. So i hope that if i have a public deadline hanging over me, i'll manage to feed before plugging my brain in.
4. Use train time more effectively.
I spend a total of several hours a week on the train. Usually i just read mindless fantasy novels (when i have them, which i do right now, thanks shanzig !) But i have a few study books for the JLPT and GRE, so i should be using them. The annoying thing about the GRE one is that it's got magazine sized pages, so it's hard to read on a crowded train. And it's heavy enough that i'm not fond of dragging it to and from school and other work. But that's just an excuse. The JLPT books are small enough to take anywhere... and maybe some hot Japanese guy will notice me reading in Japanese and will be unscared enough to talk to me? Heh.
5. Stretch every night.
Situps and stuff would be good too, but those i won't worry about doing every night. But the other day i totally messed up my neck sneezing shortly after waking up. I think making sure i go to sleep properly loosened up will help keep that from happening, and also help me sleep better.
That seems like enough to keep track of at this time.