HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
In America, we have a tradition of making New Year's resolutions. What one thing are you going to do better this coming year, that you know you have to improve? And how are you going to do it?
* does it bother you when you say stock phrases such as "HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!"?
* does it make sense to have resolutions once a year at the same time as everyone else?
* what exactly is the new year a celebration of for most people? The fact that humanity is still here? Or perhaps the making of resolutions? Something religious?
* what do studies say about how effective the making of resolutions is and whether they improve society overall?
http://www.proactivechange.com/resolutions/statistics.htm
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/01/04/1407433/new-years-reso...
It seems as if a fair amount of the population makes resolutions that end up helping a portion of them. Thus they improve society to some extent, but not necessarily more than any other holiday that also bring people together and make them rethink their lives.
What's interesting to think about is if arbitrary holidays (which New Year's may or may not be) are worth our time or not? Even some holidays that are not arbitrary have become something totally different than what they started out as. Tradition keeps these holidays going, but if you were to pick and choose which holidays to keep, which ones would you choose?
No, it allows me to simply respond with a stock answer and move on with my day.
* does it make sense to have resolutions once a year at the same time as everyone else?
Yes, Life is long. Having a sprint last a year makes sense. It is also easier for people to reflect and major changes in their life on natural boundaries like a new years, 20th, 30th, 40th... birthday.
* what exactly is the new year a celebration of for most people? The fact that humanity is still here? Or perhaps the making of resolutions? Something religious?
I will speak for most people; they are celebrating the past years accomplishments, friends they made, places they have gone, things they have experienced...
* what do studies say about how effective the making of resolutions is and whether they improve society overall?
It is not a time for research... it is a time for drinking late into the night while coding your next project.
2010 kicked ass, but now it is on to the next one!!!
Seriously though, I have a project that I've been putting weekends/nights/vacations into for a couple weeks, that's going to make me some money next year.
For me, I'll not bore you too much but I want:
1) To learn Python. Sounds a bit boring I know but I'm primarily a business guy these days, though I taught myself PHP years ago so that I could converse and work better with the team of coders I work with
2) To focus on 3 products I want out the door. Not to go off chasing new shiny things!!
3) To meditate more, do yoga to a better level and become a vegetarian (an odd one to some people I know, but its a goal I have!)
Irrespective to what I want to achieve, I'd like to say thank you to everyone on HN. I've been on this site since the beginning and whilst I don't know any of you guys personally it is a wonderful community and I have learned (and continue to learn) loads about tech, but also a much more rounded group of topics.
May I wish you the very best for this coming year both on a personal level and also for what you choose to do in terms of work.
May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions! ~ Joey Adams
Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account. ~ Oscar Wilde
A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one Year and out the other ~ Anonymous
2) Cut the beer consumption
3) Lose weight (already lost about 10 pounds in about a month due to beginning #2 early)
4) Begin regular exercise (I already started semi-regular walking but then weather suddenly went to -25C and 60 cm of snow...)
5) 1280x1024 and sometimes 2560x1024