Waiting For Resolutions

It's getting closer..........
(media.mlive.com)

2010 is just around the bend, and it can't get here any quicker! No doubt, 2009 came with plenty of good times, but the year sort of dragged out too long, kinda like every TV show made between 2002-2009. With the new year comes new hopes that the 3rd shift at FedEx won't be my mode of employment for the rest of my life, wondering if my college degree has as much value as a stack of Confederate money. Maybe the full moon over the sky will be a catalyst to a change of luck, or another inspiration for someone else to make another romantic vampire movie. Thinking of things to change for the new year was a little difficult. Contrary from what you hear, I am far from perfect, yet I don't fall into the resolution-making crowd. I'm actually looking to GAIN weight, I don't smoke anything but the occasional stogie, the drinking has gone down exponentially since the college years and I don't watch enough TV to get rid of guilty pleasures to save precious time (does VH1 Tough Love count? Feelin' a little ashamed now.). Looking back at the old year, there were a few things that I learned and that I'm sure to apply heading into the tens and teens (another hard decade to name coming up). Here's to the vital and the trivial that I'm going to take with me into the next year, and maybe my pointers will help a few others in their quest for time-based enlightenment. Don't worry folks, there is nothing about gyms or dropping cheeseburgers in here!

1. Diversify my weekend adventures.
Oh, my everlasting desire to make this world so much smaller! There are so many locations that I would love to visit that are a short flight away. Miami, San Fran, Montreal and Toronto top the short list now. I'm also not ruling out a sun-soaked Christmas on the beaches of Hawaii, but that's only a figment of fantasy at this point. When you just finished shoveling your driveway, trust me, your mind can gain some serious frequent flyer miles. Visiting a few ballparks and stadiums on the main 48 is a more realistic possibility that could work out. Either way, I'm hoping that 2010 can be the potential year of the check mark when it comes to travel spots.

2. Get back into the exercising game.
Hey now, people! I didn't say gyms! I'll admit it, I'm the last person who looks at the nutrition facts when chowing on anything. I barely have any idea how many calories anything is, or why trans fat has become such a big deal. But with a few heart attack scares in my family recently, I feel compelled to make a few changes in my body management. It is not as drastic as the dietary promises other people make when the year changes, but it doesn't hurt to become a little more health conscious as I pack on the years. Besides, getting back into marathon shape isn't exactly the worst idea in the world. In fact, I ended up having all the time in the world in 2009 to train and run in a marathon, but couldn't keep a regimen that lasted longer than a few weeks. I'm thinking a little bit of an endorphin rush will probably give me the motivation to tackle the other challenges I want to conquer in the future. Now where did I put my running shoes?

3. Trying not to be afraid to ask for help.
Must be a man trait. Whether it's directions to the restaurant or putting together the most massive entertainment system ever, we have the penchant of going our own way without the interruption of assistance. I guess it's our own masochistic way of flaunting our independence to the world, and in many situations, I'm no different. Hell, I even question my GPS's directions. I admit, asking for assistance for me is balancing on the line of begging. For example, I have been reluctant to venture into nightlife lately because I don't want to have to be that guy that asks to skip a round. It's just not in me. I just don't like that feeling of not being able to handle my own situation, but then again who doesn't? That brings me to the arduous process known as my personal job hunt. This job search has really got me reaching out in directions I never even thought of venturing in, but it's the only way to advance. Sometimes you have to show a little vulnerability before others will step in. If you let the world think everything is okay, people will naturally back off. As long as you don't present yourself as a scummy individual, or you are Bernie Madoff, there are people out there that are more than willing to heed the call to put you on the right track. In the end, your calls for help are doing a favor for everyone because it fulfills the personal and philanthropic needs of everybody involved. Anybody hiring?

4. Letting myself make the money and not letting the money make me.
Probably the key phrase for me in the new decade. This past year I fell for shallow opportunities that I either wasn't prepared for or simply just didn't fit my true interests, and all for a quick buck. There were a couple projects I embarked on that I thought I was being entrepreneurial when in the end, I placed myself in a position where I was extremely dependent on other people I didn't exactly trust to guide me to success. I found out the hard way in 2009 that in order for me to be successful, I have to be passionate in what I am doing and also to feel as if I'm making a difference. When money becomes your sole motivator, your expectations become distorted, which can severely hinder your final results. By letting the money control me, I ended up basically getting implicitly what I asked for: To get screwed. I had inadvertently became more dependent in my pursuit to become independent. After being jobless for almost a whole year, I have vowed to myself that somehow, someway, that I will not go through this situation again. The feeling of telling people about your unemployment at social gatherings and feeling like a burden at every night outing because of your lack of cash flow doesn't get any cozier. Of course, a grown-up job is the first step to my economic recovery, but I realize that even a job in this crazy modern world doesn't bring you all the security. Not with recessions and people looting from your 401Ks and pensions to boost their Ponzi schemes. Something tells me that this next decade is going to be a little more entrepreneurial, and now I have wisdom as my booster fuel.

5. Become more firm in giving out/taking rejection.
In order to become more entrepreneurial, I have to take to this mantra. One amazing thing I learned in the '09 is that the human mind is more powerful than we give it credit for. You can talk yourself into ANYTHING being a good idea. For example, I would have never thought in my life that I would have been pitching gutter estimates door-to-door in sub zero temperatures. Granted, with the economy and all, I was so ecstatic at the time that I got something almost immediately after my lay-off and jumped at the first thing that had a pulse to it, but I didn't have to subject myself to any of those unnecessary hardships. A lot of my problems last year were based on me thinking I was helping out/doing favors for other people. In the end, YOU, and only YOU, are responsible for your success and nobody else. Don't get me wrong, I think teamwork is an essential part of any project and I probably wouldn't start a business unless I was teamed up with a dedicated partner, but only YOU know your desires and goals of YOUR OWN life. Don't be afraid to be bold and say no to something that threatens your personal integrity or sanity. You must also not be afraid when someone discards you or your vision of the world. Hey, they're 6 billion people on this earth, so I guarantee that at least a few people are on the same page as you. Chances are if you work hard enough in what you are passionate about, opportunity is always around the corner. You may hurt some feelings (even your own) in the short term, but at least your bank account and your mental health will ultimately be preserved in the long run when destiny finally falls in your lap.


Things I'm looking forward to in the New Year.
- FIFA World Cup 2010.
- Hopefully another Eurotrip.
- 2010 Red Sox season. (Duh!)
- Moving into my own abode.
- Getting that job that somewhat correlates with my degree.
- Working on actually gaining those 10 solid pounds of muscle.
- Bringing Cloud 10 to the mainstream.
- Random adventures in random places across the country.

........and hopefully a whole lot more!

Wishing all of you the best in 2010. Happy New Year, ladies and gents!