A RESOLUTE 2008

Noticed I didn't put `resolutions' in my title, but I'm resolute to want to have a better and more fruitful year 2008, compared to a fun but cushy year that's just about to pass in hours.

Had been speaking to some friends about how I felt of my `under-achievement' in 2007, and the confessions of how much time I've wasted on Facebook and also how terribly I have been taking care of my personal finance.. among other disgruntles!

I'm glad to get some useful tips and sound advice as to how I could work towards the resolutions I wanted to set for myself in the new year. Actually my NY resolutions have not been much different at all in the last decade I would say.. or even beyond! Which means something is not right because I never really achieved them.. I could not set more ambitious resolutions because I'm still stuck with the same ones that I'm struggling to achieve.

Take for eg. my owl-like sleeping habit. Or the perennial `favourite' - to diet and lose weight. Of course there are many more pertaining to my career, finance, personal and spiritual life.. And there is no improvement - maybe the other way round - of my status today compared to say 5 years ago.

Which brings me back to my resolute action plan that I'm going to lay out today - on the last day of 2007. I will analyse what went wrong in the specific areas, and then will draw up an action plan. I'm even going as far as to draw up a `daily schedule' out for myself to adhere to - maybe not in the strict sense but at least I'm following a general framework. Being a freelance writer, I have way too much freedom to the extent of me abusing and wasting precious time.. So that's something that I need to set right.

And I will do all these not online but on ink and paper. For I already am spending too much time on the Internet.

My action plan will include these few categories:

• Daily lifestyle - working time, time spent in devotion, leisure time (including Internet time!) and bed time
• Work - to record the amount of work and payment as well as to seek for more if needed
• Finance - to record daily expenditure and to cut down on unnecessary spendings
• Exercise - to allocate 2-3 times a week to go to gym
• Diet - to not be greedy and over-eat and cut down on sugar and oil and fat
• Spiritual - to start a spiritual journal, continue reading One-Year-Bible and daily devotion
• Ministries - to be involved and be committed in 2 main ministries

Other personal betterment is a little more intangible - basically it involves developing the Fruit of the Spirit as written in Galatians 5:22, especially in the `patience' and `self-control' departments.

Gosh, this looks like the most ambitious New Year `resolutions' I've ever set out to do. So much to write down! Now I can make use of the many unused diaries and notebooks over the years! In the past, I have only listed out what I want to achieve but have never really thought of HOW to achieve it. With my action plan in place, hopefully it makes it easier to work towards the goal. Writing all the bits and pieces down in black&white is basically to make it more structural and clear so that I have something to start with.. and hopefully will be resolute enough to carry it through..

And it all boils down to one word: RESOLUTENESS. And to think that I've always taken the word `resolution' too lightly. It's time to buck up and change.