I want to be a better man in 2009. I am sick and tired of being overweight and hunted by an agonizing thought that life is slipping away while I am planning for great things to do in a distant future. I must get over my laziness and live now. To help me remind myself, I will name two things I want to prioritize in the year to come.

Firstly, I must write the book I have planned for many years. Over the past three years or so, I have collected material enough for a full-length manuscript on a subject that interests me. When I am down, or “realistic”, I always think of the obstacles. To spend hundreds of hours writing a book is a waste of time, I think to myself. Why would anyone publish a book by me in a tough competition with other writers? Well, why not me? For one thing, my handling of advanced adverbials is better than most, and I am a master of phrasal verbs! Thinking about it, why would no one else be interested in my book? My first New Year’s resolution is simple: I will begin to write the book that is already finished in my head.

Secondly, I must lose the weight I gained after I quit smoking. I do not miss the cigarettes, but I do miss being able to see my feet without having to lean forward. I realized a long time ago that I was caught in a destructive circle of unhealthy eating and low self-esteem. I must break free. My second New Year’s resolution is as simple as the first: I will go to the gym for exercise at least three times a week, and I will avoid eating sweet and fattening food I know is bad for me. The goal is to get the feet back in my field of vision.

I have a year. In December 2009, I will return to this entry and write a follow-up. Wish me luck!