Jan 1, 2014

2014 New Year Resolutions...

There are 2 things that everyone asks you on 31st Dec/ 1st Jan.
1. Where's the party?
2. What are your new year resolutions?

Well, as regards 1, I am happy to admit that the party was in my dreams. Because I was asleep by 11 pm. But then, only social climbers and wannabes go out and party. The real cool people stay at home and eat dinner with mom. So there.

As regards 2, here goes:

1. Read more. I want to read at least 1 book a month, so my target is 12 books for the year. Considering I carry my Kindle and have a half hour train commute (not always conducive for reading if someone is standing on my toes, but still...), I think I'll tick this. But then, no one said you can't have easy-to-achieve resolutions. After all, one must tick at least one resolution off before the year ends.

2. Write more. This one's slightly more difficult. Mostly because I have grown out of the phase of commenting on random news topics, and there's only so much silly PJs and stupid lamericks one can do. I did only 13 posts on this blog in 2013, and so if I can do 14 this year, I'll consider this ticked off. I know it's nothing compared to my most prolific years (64 posts in 2009 and 51 in 2008), but then I was much younger and more excited about blogging then than I am now. Plus, post-Lehman, we bankers were twiddling our thumbs then. But 14 posts at least, and I'll tick this one too. Put it in the 'easy-to-moderate' category.

3. Run a sub 2.30 half marathon. Fingers crossed (not while running). Considering zero training in the last 6 months, this goes in the moderate-to-difficult category.

4. Travel more. I am hoping for 3 mind-blowing vacations, but I'll tick this if I can get 2 decent ones. And if the passport issuing gods are listening, could you please speed that up? I promise to break self-attested, notarized, rubber stamped coconuts in triplicate! Considering this requires participation from some really smart people who will have to temporarily suspend their intelligence to decide to go on a trip with me (with ME!), I'll mark this one also on the moderate-to-difficult category.

5. Learn to cook. A proper meal. Not some mish-mash of random vegetables thrown in to make a 'sambar'. But nothing fancy. Am not getting into the Masterchef mode. At least not this year. Considering my mom spoils me rotten, and the fact that I did not learn it in the 8 years I stayed alone, this goes into the difficult-to-'stop kidding yourself' category.

6. De-clutter and organize! My financial papers will be filed so that I know how much I have salted away. All my government issued cards will have my name filled in properly and will have the same address. My office inbox will not have 4538 mails lying unsorted. And my desk will be clean. And Rohit Sharma will hit 2 triple centuries in New Zealand. And pigs will fly. Considering who I am, this is definitely 'impossible' category.

And I am done.
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PS: Does the fact that I am at least making new year resolutions rather than thinking "screw it, let's have one more large" mean I am growing up a little? Shit!