I don't believe in making New Year's resolutions, mainly because I never adhere to them. How many times have I posted that I need to lose some weight and get in better shape? Exactly. So, I won't be making any New Year's resolutions this year, but I will be making the following promises to myself:

 

1 – Write at least 500 words per day: Easier said than done as I find that my time to write becomes more limited due to work and obligations to the family. However, I can always carve out time to pound out 500 words a day on this blog. That's not a lot of writing, but enough to keep the chops up and maybe even improve. We'll see.

2 – Get in better shape: I joined the gym in the building where my office is. It's a really nice gym with treadmills that are incredibly forgiving to my creaky knees. Now I don't have any excuses to not fit in a half hour run at the very minimum four days a week.

3 – Lay off the free weights: I'll be 42 years old in a couple of weeks and the extra bulk I'm carrying around is literally killing me. Time to let go of my obsession with the bench press…but I will toot my own horn one last time – on Dec 16, 2011 I was able to get 19 reps in at 225lbs on the bench press with no assistance from the spotter. Not too shabby…but my shoulders ached for days afterwards and there really is no need for that kind of strength in everyday life. It's not like I need to shed blockers to get to the produce section at Costco, although that would make the trips there more interesting. While I wouldn't mind looking toned, I no longer need to be burly. So, no more bench presses like I'm training for the NFL combine.

4 – Write a collection of short stories: William Young and Mark Colety inspired this one as both have self-published books recently. Anyone that knows me can tell you that I've got stories…most of them centered around drunken excess, but they are amusing and entertaining…like the infamous boat party where I met The Better Half…or the unfortunate Dave Matthews Band incident…or even the brush with greatness that was my Border's meeting with ex Doobie Brother Michael McDonald. I think it is time to capture some of those for prosperities sake and self-publish them in a hooch soaked memoire. Who knows, maybe I'll even turn a buck or two in the process.

5 – Improve this blog: Readership is non-existence, mainly because I rarely write, but also because what I have written of late has been sub-par. This will work in conjunction with the first promise on this list. I can only improve as a writer if I increase my output and 'practice'.

There you have it, my road map to success in 2012…good times, great oldies…