New Year's Resolution Pre-Planning

Yes, I'm planning for my plan to increase my skills.  Starting right now by writing this post as writing more is one of those things I want to do and what better time to do it than now?

We are vastly approaching one of the points in the year where we vow to become someone different (some of us do it 2x a year: birthday and new year). How many of you actually achieve it?

Sure, our intrinsic foundation may stay the same but New Year's resolutions always involve a pledge to make ourselves better - but do we ever really consider the process of how to achieve those resolutions before the Jan. 1 deadline?

Rather than setting some goal of losing weight, drinking less or saving more - figure out how you're going to do it and make a plan before Jan. 1 - otherwise, it's just going to be one of those things you said you were going to do but just never got around to it.

Have I really even thought about how I'm going to lose some weight to look good in a dress I ordered from Top Shop?

Have I really even researched how I plan to further my education in some way?

After reading Cracked.com's 6 Harsh Truths To Make You A Better Person by David Wong, there are three things I want to focus on (definitely go read all of it though):

• "Remember, misery is comfortable. It's why so many people prefer it. Happiness takes effort."
  
  Of course it is.  It's so easy to be lazy and be content with being miserable.  The only person we can blame for our misery is ourselves.  Blaming your misery on someone else is just too easy. Want to be better? Do something about it. Figure out what makes you happy then figure out the process of how you're going to get to that end point. If someone says you can't do something, tell them to go fly a kite and prove them wrong.  Legal things, people.

Example: I feel content after cooking something since I feel like it's one thing that I finished and has some end result.

Process: Research a recipe, go to the grocery store and get my rear in the kitchen.

• "I'm going to say let's pledge to do fucking anything -- add any skill, any improvement to your human tool set, and get good enough at it to impress people. Don't ask me what -- hell, pick something at random if you don't know. Take a class in karate, or ballroom dancing, or pottery. Learn to bake. Build a birdhouse. Learn massage. Learn a programming language. Film a porno. Adopt a superhero persona and fight crime. Start a YouTube vlog. Write for Cracked."

Ex: I want to cook better. 

Process: I'm going to take a cooking class at Sur La Table or Central Market or somewhere!

The US government highlights the top New Year's Resolutions that people make. Don't fall into the general population category and be specific with what it is you are going to do.  Pick a general category and then pick a way in which you are going to achieve it or do the opposite - figure out what you want to achieve and if it falls into a category, great!  If it doesn't, great, too!

And, on a final note - here's a resolution we can all practice on social media. Rather than just passively saying something, let's figure out a way we can make the situation better by action, not just words!

Online Compassion Is Meaningless Unless You Do Something

I really loved how he pointed out that that compassion is meaningless unless you do something.

• "Inside, you have great compassion for poor people. Great. Does that result in you doing anything about it? Do you hear about some terrible tragedy in your community and say, "Oh, those poor children. Let them know that they are in my thoughts"? Because fuck you if so -- find out what they need and help provide it. A hundred million people watched that Kony video, virtually all of whom kept those poor African children "in their thoughts." What did the collective power of those good thoughts provide? Jack fucking shit. Children die every day because millions of us tell ourselves that caring is just as good as doing. It's an internal mechanism controlled by the lazy part of your brain to keep you from actually doing work."

Sure, you can post on Facebook that <insert some horrible thing that just happened> is in your thoughts and prayers.  What good does that do them though?  What can you do to make the situation better?  That's what we should be asking ourselves and also providing others with the tools to act upon.

So, let's get to pre-planning our plan.  By breaking it down early on and figuring out the process of achieving your goal, you are well ahead of most people.

Good luck and cheers to a good 2013!