Motivation!

[Azrael]

Speaking of CA, anyone heard from her lately? She hasn't been here since the 18th.

[Radbaron]

She's on BookFace constantly.

[Don Alexander]

Also on Skype.

Not that we talk.

[Radbaron]

I think Skype might have removed a lot of people from my list. I don't have you there, or JVD, Teach, Asaryu, CA....

[Don Alexander]

Yeah, you've been "This user has not shared contact details with you." for a long time. I thought you just hated me.

[GothPoet]

He does, but we're not supposed to say anything.

Oops.

[Dirty n Evil]

I'm actually doing the "New Year's Resolution" thing this year... I almost never do them, or I do very little things that I know I can hold with. Not this year. This year, I'm pushing myself, and I'm putting a date by which I have to make serious progress. July 1st, six months from New Year's Day. By July 1st of this year, I'm going to have the following accomplished:

Lose 30 pounds (this figures to average 5 pounds a month, a reasonable rate of loss). Towards this end, I'm completely cutting out soda and coffee (coffee for me has become more of an excuse to consume sugar than anything).

Have over a third of my novel written (I have a completed outline, but I really need to just sit and WRITE!)

Buy a book to re-learn either kendo or tai chi (I haven't practiced in well over 10 years).

Learn a musical instrument (I'm leaning towards guitar, as I know I can get my father to help teach me... which might be good for our relationship).

Get a new tattoo. (My last and only one was at 23... and I think I need to embrace my inner rebel again.)

So, that's my list. I know it's going to be difficult, because I'm looking more at a change of life than a simple set of resolutions. But they're all changes to my life that I see will improve who I am as a person.

[Fen]

I also made resolutions for the first time ever for 2012 =). Good luck DnE!

[Dirty n Evil]

Thanks, Fen. Best of luck with your own resolutions! Part of the reason behind mine is late this up-coming year, I'm going to turn 40. The big Four-Oh. 40 is traditionally a major age in any persons' life... they can no longer claim to be a "kid" by any twist of the imagination. It's the point at which a person is who they truly are ever going to be. And when I reach that birthday, I'm going to be happier with who I am.

Had my last cup of coffee and my last soda today. (Well, last soda unless I happen on birch beer... that's my one exception I'm allowing myself. Because I'll manage to get my hands on some of that perhaps once every three or four months.) I bought a digital scale and weighed myself. 245 pounds. Ugh, that's entirely too heavy. I have set the weight I'm going to lose at 30 pounds by July 1st, which means I'll end up at 215 pounds by that time. Now, that's still above the weight I want to finish at, but I'm going in with that attitude that if I reach this goal I will have done very well. What's more, I'll have established a lifestyle that will be healthy and will continue to help me loose weight. It might not continue at that pace, and at some point it's likely going to plateau. But I'm determined to keep up with these resolutions, because I want to be happier with where I am in life in six months!

... and I'm also trying to think of what sort of tattoo I want.

[MerchManDan]

A new fitness centre is about to open at "my" shopping mall. Not only did I join, but I bought 6 sessions with a personal trainer. We've spoken on the phone, I'll meet him in person on the 12th at the grand opening party & then my first session is the week after. Cost more than I really enjoy spending (particularly for something as ephemeral as time in the future), but to put it bluntly: If I didn't hire a personal trainer - with whom I'd actually made appointments to see - then I might not actually set foot in the place. Sad but true.

[GothPoet]

@DnE: Get a Tramp Stamp.

[Dirty n Evil]

I am neither getting a tramp stamp or a face tattoo. I'm leaning towards the chaos symbol (the eight pointed arrow), because I've come to see in life that truly wading through the eddies and currents created by the rest of the world almost make navigating life impossible. That, and Michael Moorcock who more or less brought the idea out into the forefront with his Elric novels was one of my favorite authors in my youth. However, I think I'm also going to go into an actual tattoo shop and look around to see if something else sparks my imagination.

[Radbaron]

How does a TARDIS or the Torchwood symbol appeal to you?

[Otaku201]

To anyone in need of motivation this time of year, I suggest you watch this.

[Fen]

*sigh*. Why did I decide to start doing everything at once?

It's amazingly hard to concentrate whilst studying.