paul / December 31, 2007 8:15 AM

To not write '2007' on any checks by mistake.

annie / December 31, 2007 8:50 AM

to be a healthier person, better friend and daughter. and mostly to finish '08 as happy as I will be starting it...as a newlywed!

David / December 31, 2007 10:46 AM

Formal dissertation proposal! Woo!

skafiend / December 31, 2007 12:14 PM

To finish one of my plays, get someone important to read it and get it on stage.

and maybe stop drinking beer and get rid of this last little bit of gut

holden / December 31, 2007 12:19 PM

Cook more & buy less prepared food (i.e. going out for lunch/dinner)

Ride RAGBRAI for the first time this summer.

Take a fun trip somewhere (Yellowstone?, Boston?, London?, Mexico City?)

Get the transfer to the department that I'm hoping for

See more live music (lollapalooza)

Start my masters project

Find some fun summer employment

Get in great shape

Play more (soccer, volleyball, basketball, drums, etc)

Carlotta / December 31, 2007 1:42 PM

Lose 50-60 lbs -- that is, to continue my weight loss program that got sidetracked during 2007.

Justin / December 31, 2007 5:51 PM

Resume writing one short story and clean up a couple others. Write more in general.

Brush up on Spanish, German, and Hebrew. Finish reading the OT and the Divine Comedy.

Consolidate two of my web sites and round out the third like I want.

Find a figure drawing class or group in the city. Paint the couple of canvases I have in mind.

Visit friends in Portland and family in Texas. Bike with my parents.

pre-op / December 31, 2007 5:59 PM

To plan, schedule and make it through two major surgeries with grace, strength and calm. Having my sanity and good health at the end would be nice too, but I can't really control that.

C-Note / December 31, 2007 6:44 PM

I'm not big on talking about what I'm going to do, but I will say I accomplished last year's resolutions, and I didn't tell anybody what those were, either.

But I will say this to y'all: 2008 is your year, but you gotta make it your year. One day at a time. They're YOUR days, and what you do with them, well, that's you. Not the ideal you who follows the resolutions, but the real you, who gets up and takes care of business even when you don't feel like it. Everybody's fine under optimal conditions, but only some people get it done regardless. It's your year, and you gotta choke the shit out of it. It's only going to get harder - don't give up while it's easy, or you'll be in the same shit this time next year.

C-Note / December 31, 2007 6:48 PM

It occurs to me that "goals" are the same as "resolutions," and, although I forgot to mention this in my previous post, this is the reason I didn't change my terminology.

Actually I think resolutions are better. A goal is something you aim to accomplish; a resolution is a plan of action, with or without a specific goal. Goals are accomplished by adhering to one's resolutions over time. Doesn't matter if you have a goal, if you don't resolve to take the actions that will accomplish it, does it?

Carrie / December 31, 2007 8:16 PM

-manage my money better
-work on getting out of debt
-not be so resentful when my ma asks me for dollars (hence, cc debt)
-learn more at work so I know the industry better
-travel some place old or new (right, I know I'm trying to get out of debt and manage my money better... but oh that cheap vacation to my favorite place is so tempting)

Ellen / January 1, 2008 10:18 AM

To finish re-writing my book. (The third draft's the charm, right?)

To get a short story accepted for publication (because that will help me with the next goal.)

To find an agent for the book.

And I'll be using C-note's methods to accomplish these goals before August. 2008 IS my year and I shall choke the shit out of it.

snuh / January 1, 2008 2:12 PM

move to california to finish school. i'll still read gaper's block, tho.

Tonia / January 1, 2008 3:53 PM

To finally memorize my Illinois drivers license number.

The El / January 1, 2008 9:24 PM

C-note, thanks for the positive reinforcement...I need to hear that every day...this is the year to make things happen, not sit back and wish it so. Bring it on!

Laura / January 1, 2008 9:31 PM

• do things rather than acquire things

• spend some quality time in NY and Seattle

• Lose 38 lbs by my 38th birthday (in three months)...me too...got sidetracked from my weight loss program over the holidays...got 20 lbs. to go

• Let go of....taking things personally

irisheyes1212 / January 2, 2008 9:47 AM

My goals for 2008

* Work on being less sensitive, less emotional. I take things very personally and tend to be a bit paranoid (i.e. Boyfriend didn't call when I thought he would..he must hate me, etc.)
**I think just less negative thoughts all around, work on self-esteem (lack of), etc.

*Lose 30lbs this year to be at my goal weight. I can do it...if I stop eating out and drinking so much :)

*Help my fat cats reach their goal weight

*Get more sleep so I am alert for work...I hate feeling heavy eyed.

*Cut down on my second job. I work at a bar on the weekends. Sometime between Spring and Summer, I will go from 2 nights to 1. My mental health and social life will really benefit.

*Work at being a good friend and girlfriend. I will do what I can help this new relationship blossom into something great.

*Visit New York, FL, or Boston.

Jill / January 2, 2008 9:52 AM

Right on, C-Note! I AM gonna choke the shit out of 2008!

And....

Continue losing weight--25 pounds to go (and then think about having kids, so I can put all the weight back on).

Make a living by freelance writing.

zoenotcool / January 2, 2008 10:22 AM

1. read 52 books in one year (fell short in 2007)

2. lose weight

3. save $

4. be more grateful

5. be healthier all around

6. be kinder

7. challenge myself more

8. buy a house in spite of my fears and worries

spence / January 2, 2008 10:29 AM

- run a half-marathon
- compete in a half-triathalon
-get the 35lb drunk monkey off my back and thus, save a lot of money, save myself from embarrassement and have time to do more useful things.
-head west and hike for a week (any suggestions of where?)
-take some more spanish classes
-Build a screen printer

irisheyes1212 / January 2, 2008 10:54 AM

Spence, I quite liked the way you put this. It is exactly my problem :)

"-get the 35lb drunk monkey off my back and thus, save a lot of money, save myself from embarrassement and have time to do more useful things.
"

milena / January 2, 2008 10:56 AM

c-note--nicely put

this year i want to really live in the present instead of always thinking of the future

also to be kinder to myself

be less negative

anne / January 2, 2008 11:11 AM

* be healthy (in mind and body, which includes several 5K races starting in March)

* be happy (with work and life outside of work)

Leelah / January 2, 2008 11:20 AM

--lose 15 lbs
--cut down on my control freakishness

or, as Anne said above: be healthy and happy.

Spook / January 2, 2008 1:01 PM

start going to bed at 11:00pm on weeknights

fluffy / January 2, 2008 2:53 PM

volunteer more

Hal / January 2, 2008 3:07 PM

1) Finish my thesis (no later than May, but preferably March).

2) Get back in shape.

3) Continue my debt reduction plan.

Shasta / January 2, 2008 3:54 PM

1. Fully-fund my Roth IRA.

2. Exercise more.

3. Go to bed earlier during the week.

4. Make out at LEAST once.

Steven / January 2, 2008 4:55 PM

To reduce the number of kilowatt hours on my electric bill by half so I can afford to still feed my dog.

To reduce the amount of calories I eat by one quarter so I can afford to still feed my dog.

To reduce the amount of liquor I drink in bars by one third so I can afford to still feed my dog.

To remember to feed my dog before I go to work every day.

PMan / January 2, 2008 9:22 PM

I'm going to run 400 miles, read 24 books and deal with a variety of personal issues that have been nagging me for too long.

kelly / January 2, 2008 10:00 PM

try to reduce the liquor intake to social occasions-- no more "it's a wednesday, i'll have a glass of wine or three"
I'm also going to work on getting the right job for when I graduate pa school next year.
finally, i'm going to make sure my debt upon graduation is not out of control-- although to do this, i may have to sell my eggs or resort to kidney donation.....

Dan / January 3, 2008 9:28 AM

Less boozin and loosin.
Be more diligent about my schoolwork.
Work on my hobby stuff more regularly.

Spence: I recommend the Maroon Bells Four Pass route in Colorado. It's four days, four mountain passes. From 7000 -> 11000 -> 7000 ft every day, good times. It should be easy to find other stuff around that area (Aspen, Co) to fill in the rest of your 7 days.

Allan / January 3, 2008 10:05 AM

Win the lottery again but better.

Some butt sex would be nice I hear it is great.

In lieu of butt sex, regular sex would do.

Start dressing better.

Get on Oprah.

lolo / January 3, 2008 10:52 AM

Huh. I sense a recurring theme here. Because like many of the most recent contributors, I too plan to drink less (espec on weeknights but also in general), to turn in earlier on weeknights, and work on some things in the personal issues/emotional growth department (ie, work harder at leading by example and being the "grown-up" in many of my relationships, since most of family/loved ones seem the least bit inclined to ever do so themseleves).

And yeah, Allan -- let's just say it isn't overrated.

Andrew / January 3, 2008 11:11 AM

* Write and defend the dissertation proposal
* Complete the other practical (and minor) components necessary to be ABD
* Propose and teach more courses
* Stop overspending, hence:
* Save more, and learn about investing to get a better return
* Figure out if that savings will actually translate into a down payment before I finish the PhD (in another 2-3yrs), or whether I'm better off waiting until I have a full-time job

spence / January 3, 2008 11:43 AM

Dan,

Thanks. I'll take a look into it. It sounds like what I'm looking for. Was altitude sickness be a problem at 11,000ft for you? I've hiked a couple 3000-4000ft elevation gains (Grand Canyon, Southern Patagonia, and Mt. Nittany, but those were starting at or around sea level.

lmy / January 3, 2008 11:47 AM

* debt management (no more credit cards after april)
* lose 10 lbs. (if the biggest loser peeps can lose 150 lbs., i can cut out sweets and booze and walk home home from work once in a while)
* travel (out of the country preferably, hopefully south america)
* get my own place in the fall
* make my own happiness (i have this unhealthy habit of losing myself in relationships and my heart can't take it anymore)

Dan / January 3, 2008 1:25 PM

Spence,
I think the altitude did mess with me a bit, had a bit of a headache the first day, but everyone was fine after that.

Btw, there are a couple of vids on youtube of the route that show it off pretty decently.

If you have any other questions about that route feel free to email me.

djohanns @ the university in Evanston that starts with N.

Casey / February 15, 2008 6:41 PM

Ive made one resolution in my life time... a resolution ive always kept...

"never make another one of these stupid revolutions again"