: A New Year
I think I got lost in thought at some point, because my calendar now reads January 2015. 2014 was a total blur between managing work, preparations for being transitioned to Florida, financial stability, and, of course, broadening the family tree. Now 2015 promises to start off with a bang as I get back into working and surviving our impending move to Orlando. I wanted to make a list of my intents for the coming year, more for my own benefit than anything else.
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Fatherhood: Obvious. I’m nothing without my family.
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Read more: I’ve replaced much of my free time with idly browsing the Internet and playing video games. I still enjoy reading but can never seem to find the time. I won’t set a goal number, but I will make time.
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Game less: Be more discerning about games. Don’t try to play everything everyone is talking about. Find entertainment that can be returned to time and again. Let go of my backlog and accept that I won’t ever play all of the SNES and PS1 classics – most of them probably don’t hold up without nostalgia goggles, anyways.
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Program more: As my livelihood, I need to be broadening my horizons beyond what is simply necessary for work. Contribute to open source. Start a game that scratches a personal itch. Make an iOS app finally. Doesn’t matter if I make any money.
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Follow less: Twitter and RSS feeds are my lifeline to news and information about the wider world, but connectivity comes at a price. These often-bite-sized morsels of entertainment are addicting. As a Twitter completionist, I’m constantly checking my timeline for new, cool stuff. I can’t see everything.
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Write more: Breathe life back into the blog. Take the time for longer thoughts. Cultivate a style. Start that novel that everyone always wants to write.
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Tweet less: Defocus interactions on social networks. Call and text and e-mail more. Communicate longer and more often.
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Live more: Travel. Volunteer. Work. Play. Go to concerts. Walk in the woods. Lay on the beach. Be with family.
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Get political: Sounds silly, but House of Cards rekindled my interest in the goings-on on the Hill and in the White House, an interest that waned significantly in the last several disheartening years. 2016 is approaching.
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Forgive: Anyone always, but especially myself for all of the things on this list I will fail to accomplish. Nobody’s perfect.