This is our so-called black-out period that prevents me from talking about how well IBM is doing or making predictions about our industry that might affect stock prices, so instead I will talk about my New Year's Resolutions.
First, let's see how well I did against last year's[Resolutions for 2008]:
- Improve my writing skills
For this, I purchased the[Associated Press (AP) Stylebook] which some consider to be the Journalist's Bible for how to spell, write and phrase things correctly.I also followed various blogs about writing, including John E. McIntyre's[You Don't Say], Dan Santow's[Word Wise, and the Quotation's Page[Quotes of the Day].
- Improve my HTML and Web design skills
I helped out several local organizations with their Web sites, and learned some of the latest HTML features, Common Style Sheets (CSS), Javascript, and Active Service Pages (ASP).
- Contribute to the OLPC Foundation
Last year, I resolved to contribute my time and effort to the One Laptop Per Child[OLPC] project led by Nicholas Negroponte. It didn't takelong for them to contact me, and I had wonderful experiences helping the folks in Nepal andUruguay.Despite building and delivering half a million laptops to deserving kids, the OLPC team has been impacted by the recent economic meltdown. From their [announcement], theOLPC team is making some shifts in their direction and priorities. Here's an excerpt:
"This restructuring is also the result of an exciting new direction for OLPC. Our technology initiatives will focus on:- Development of Generation 2.0
- A no-cost connectivity program
- A million digital books
- Passing on the development of the Sugar Operating System to the community.
With regard to deployments:
- Latin America will be spun off into a separate support unit
- Sub-Saharan Africa will become a major learning hub
- The Middle East, Afghanistan and Northwestern Pakistan will become a major focus"
It's not clear how involved I will be with OLPC in 2009, and I will probably wait for the dust to settle on this one.- Eat Healthier and Drink more
I hired a nutritionist and improved my diet. I also drank more (that was an easy one to keep!). Unfortunately, there is still room for improvement on this one.
- Attend more movies and film-making events
I've renewed my membership with the Tucson Film Society, and attended several of their eventsin 2008, including a meeting Will Conroy, screenwriter for the Action/Suspense thriller[Transsiberian] starring Woody Harrelson and Ben Kingsley.
- Get better Organized
Well I carried my [Hipster PDA] in my back pocket most of 2008, but it just did not catch on. I did get somewhat better organized, with three-ring binders and a scanner that converts paper documents into searchable PDF files.
While some might find the concept of New Year's resolutions silly or pointless, I find themuseful. Here's some interesting research on Wikipedia:
"Recent research shows that while 52 percent of participants in a resolution study were confident of success with their goals, only 12 percent actually achieved their goals. Men achieved their goal 22 percent more often when they engaged in goal setting, a system where small measurable goals are used (lose a pound a week, instead of saying "lose weight"), while women succeeded 10 percent more when they made their goals public and got support from their friends."
Here are mine for 2009:
- Spend More Time with Friends and Family
According to this [article by Albrecht Powell], reconnecting with friends and family is the number one on the Top 10 list.I think the economic meltdown served as a great wake-up call for people to focus what is mostimportant in your life and adjust your priorities accordingly.
- Enjoy Life More
Back in 2007, I vowed to laugh more. While the current economic crisis might not seem like an appropriate time for this one, I think there is hope, a new US President, and some much-needed enthusiasm for change.
- Learn Something New
At a dinner with clients, one of the IBMers had brought his 20-something daughter and hersimilarly-aged friend. Their college was closed for the week after a student shooting, andhe felt it best to give them a change of scenery. They couldn't wait until they were "done withschool" so they could get on with their lives. I had to break the bad news to them that intoday's world, they should expect life-long learning. Gone are the days where you can learna specific skill or trade, and do that the rest of your life. Hopefully I didn't frightenboth into giving up a career in favor of marriage with such advice!
With the world getting smaller, flatter, and yes "smarter" also, I resolve to learn somethingnew. I don't necessarily know what that is yet, but I will keep it in the back of my mind.
- Make Tucson a better place, and enrich the lives of its residents
I've actually gotten complaints that I was helping people in other countries, through OLPC and [Kiva],and that I should domore for people right here in Tucson. That's fair. This year I resolve to investigatethat further.
- Get Better Organized
Last year was a good start, but I can certainly do better in 2009, both at home and at the office.Perhaps I need to dust off my old copy of ["Getting Things Done"] by David Allen and read it again!
Hopefully, this list might inspire you to come up with your own resolutions. Not surprisingly, writing them in a public forum helped me keep most of them, and stick to my resolutions throughout the year. Here are [other hints to help you], and some[expert advice on maintaining resolutions].
technorati tags: IBM, New Year's Resolutions, AP, Stylebook, HTML, CSS, ASP, OLPC, Transsiberian, Will Conroy, Woody Harrelson, Ben Kingsley, PDA, PDF, Kiva, GTD, David Allen