My 2009 resolutions

I wasn’t very philosophical when 2008 came to an end. In fact, I was so trashed out partying that all I could think of were ways to get rid of a banging hangover. And after feeling remotely human again, I would indulge a little too much. Repeat, press play.

But that’s just once a year, so I don’t feel too guilty and it was supposed to be a holiday.

Anyway, as ironic as it sounds, my New Year Resolutions are a lot about being productive and focused.

Do one thing at a time. I realized that I’m one of those people who tend to feel overwhelmed by a mountain of things to be done, but think too much about how many tasks there are, so they never get much done at the end of the day. Every morning, I will just jump into completing something to get into an efficient rhythm.

Be more disciplined. I want to wake up daily at 7am (right now I’m hauling my ass out of bed at 9am — not a good start) so I can clock in more hours at Beauty Box headquarters. That also applies to working out five times a week (2 days work out; 1 day rest; 2 days work out etc.) and to stop snacking after dinner.

Be a more understanding partner. The kangaroo and I don’t see other much for people who live together. With his new role in a Russian software company, we will only meet in Tokyo once every six weeks, for 10 days, for at least the next six months. To be honest, I didn’t like the sound of it. Nor did I like it when his work schedule was even worse in 2007 when I would only see him for three days every five to six weeks.

So my womanly tempers reared their ugly head when I didn’t hear from him when he’s on the road, “Honey, why didn’t you call me in the last week?” With clashing time zones and back-to-back meetings, I get that he’s busy 24/7. I think it’s got to do with how I fill my time while he’s away and how I communicate with him at the end of the day. He’s definitely made a good effort to change on his part after a rocky 2007 in our relationship and 2008 was when we spent more time together — we got closer and I got more secure about us, so I’m going to try and relax about having an absent partner. As cliché as it sounds, I really believe that quality rules over quantity.

Pinch pennies. Running your own business is hard in the beginning — everyone knows that. I’ve got to let go of my materialistic whims and fancies so I can maximize my cash flow. Unfortunately, that means less travel, less shopping, and less entertaining.

So far, it’s been pretty manageable and I keep reminding myself that I’m a late bloomer in terms of success and ambition, so it’s my time to stop playing and get on with the program.

I don’t think I’ve ever worked hard with a clear long-term goal in mind when it came to my career. I just stumbled into roles or opportunities and took it from there. I’ve definitely put in my fair share of slogging at a job but there were always lull periods to flap around and have a good time. This year won’t have much reprieve but I’m okay with it.

Upon more reflection, my “wilderness years” are kind of over. I had a very strict upbringing, so having fun was my top priority when I hit adulthood. I had no inkling of where I was going and just did whatever seemed cool at the time. I’m done with that. So, please don’t take it personally if I don’t socialize as much.

Explore more intellectually. Although I’m clamping down on expensive travel, I want to enrich myself more by reading different kinds of books. In fact, I want to dive into basic accounting and business advice to learn how to run my business better. Politics and history are strong interests — I might start with the Tudor era because a couple of movies piqued my interest.

I have a bad habit of watching TV till late, so instead of several episodes of something, I’m only going to allow myself one hour of TV and read before bed.

I’m going to add more interesting blogs to my RSS reader and get rid of half-baked ones that waste my time.

And a repeat resolution every year ever since I moved to Japan is to keep learning Japanese and improve my listening and speaking skills.

Work at making changes. It’s common sense, but I don’t think it’s so commonly practiced. You have to make a substantial change if you want a different result. I only really began to truly understand what this meant after I quit smoking for good in 2008 (it took me five years to completely not puff on the stuff, whether it was once every month or once in six months) and when I quit alcohol for a full month. It’s bloody hard to kick bad habits but it’s worth it when you do.

Wish me luck!

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