2010: Resolutions for a New Year

I've never been one for New Year's resolutions. I find them rather silly, to be honest. But recently I've gotten into the habit of writing daily goals and attempting to keep them, mostly to create a semblance of order in my hectic life. It later occurred to me that New Year's resolutions were basically an extension of the same concept. With that frame of reference, here is my 2010 resolution:

"I am going to mold myself into a better individual than I was in 2009 by 2011."

"Vague," you say? Yes, and intentionally so. The room for improvement is vast, hence the following five tools to craft myself into a better person.

1. Education - While I will be graduating from university in 2010, this is no reason to stop learning. It would certainly be easy to do. After all, there will no longer be Ph.D.'s breathing down my neck and tapping their fingers on the desk waiting for my latest critical analysis or exposé. For this reason, I need to motivate myself and constantly keep my thirst for knowledge at the forefront of my thinking. In this way, I can be sure that I will consistently become a more intelligent person.

2. Relationships - Every shift in life stages brings along new relationships and the termination of some old ones. The people who surround us help shape us into the people we become, and that makes the decision regarding who stays and who exits our lives an important one. By surrounding myself with people who exert a positive influence on my life, one of drive and altruism, I can be sure that my environment facilitates my personal growth.

3. Priorities - I often find that my life is most productive when its most hectic. I've wondered why this is the case and have come to realize that a major reason for this productivity is the focus on priorities during frantic times. Prioritizing becomes a necessity rather than a luxury. But given the benefits offered by setting goals and organizing tasks by importance, it would only seem logical to make this a consistent habit. If I prioritize my tasks, I can be assured a more productive outcome in the long-run.

4. Sincerity - As a student in the field of communication, insincerity becomes a seemingly easy out for most situations. Communication studies offer the tools for a particularly high level of personal and professional manipulation, and many people will likely choose to take this path to success. However, I find the value of sincerity to be understated, as success without heart isn't really success at all. Living my life in a sincere manner will assure that I can look on my successes with a sense of true achievement in knowing I deserved them.

5. Health - American society is not renowned for a healthy lifestyle. We live in an age of fast food and fast medicine. Oftentimes we sacrifice good mental and psychical health for expediency, ignoring the fact that our lifestyles could lead to major illnesses at worst and an inability to perform most efficiently at best. By taking care of my body and mind, I can be sure that I am ready to take the steps necessary to succeed both personally and professionally.

With these concepts in mind, I look forward to the exciting year ahead and wish all of you, my faithful readers, a fulfilling and productive 2010!

(Be sure to post your resolutions for the new year if you're so inclined!)

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Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisSosa