The way I am

I could not do it; I simply could not let myself relax and be content. I am not that kind of person. I know that now. I am the kind of person who gets bored instead of content, who gets stir crazy instead of relaxed, who has to do everything.

My schedule for the next four years will be more intense than the past three. Weekends will be a thing of the past. I will publish articles, present at conferences, and head special interest groups. I will purchase a new computer and release textbooks and ebooks in addition to writing for my professional blog, neurolingual. I will have business cards made, move back to Tokyo, and succeed in being more social. I will spend my free hours developing my finances, mind, and body.

I will do this by making small changes to my lifestyle. Gradually, I will become the person I aspire to be – instead of the person I am. Those lower level processes, the firmware in my system, may not change, but my current condition, the operating system and associated software, are due for an upgrade.

Conviviality Refined

I have been considering my 2012Q1 resolutions recently and have done a bit of refinement. Some seem very unlikely to succeed, others trivial, and still others missing. Inviting people for weekly dinner parties would be better pushed to Q2 – when I am no longer living in Takao. While it would be nice to have a record player, it seems like an unnecessary expense at the moment.

An area where I would like to insure that I do not fall behind is in continuing my studies of linguistics, neuroscience, and languages. Following my failure to learn much of any of the four languages I intended to learn last year, I think I will take the opportunity innate to being in Japan – and focus my Japanese studies. A couple of other things that I feel should be here are to start blogging regularly and to run regularly. Further, I have added the obligatory ‘pile of shame’ clause.

With these points in mind, I present my updated list of Q1 resolutions.

First Quarter Resolutions (1 January ~ 31 March)

• Send a thoughtful message to at least three Facebook friends daily.
• Work towards the completion of academic articles and a textbook mornly.
• Write at least one blog on any of my blogs post each weekdaily.
• Study Japanese for at least one hour daily; focus on medical vocabulary.
• Follow a training schedule; finish the Tokyo Marathon in under four hours.
• Do not buy any books or video games until those I own have been cleared.
• Save money in order to move at the end of March.
• Smile more.

Conviviality

I mentioned on my Twitter account that I am thinking of revisiting resolution more often than annually. I have decided to try making resolutions for each quarter. These quarterly resolutions will refer to a larger annual theme. The theme for 2012 is Conviviality. It is my sincere hope that the year 2012 will be one in which I can repeal my inhibitions and habits to become a more social creature.

Some of my resolutions will begin sooner than the end of the year. I usually start them on my birthday, but there are some for which I cannot wait another monthsome. Yes, I just created the word monthsome. I learned that Shakespeare created over 1700 common words in his works. As a linguist, I feel that I have every right to create a few of my own. They will be included in the dictionary section of this website.

First Quarter (1 January ~ 31 March)

• Cook a pizza and invite people to eat with me weekly. Learn to make a new cocktail daily.
• Send a thoughtful message to at least one Facebook friend daily.
• Save money and return to Shibuya at the end of March.
• Smile more.
• Work towards the completion of academic articles and a textbook mornly.
• Live, musically, fifty years in the past. All music should have been released before the date in 1962. Purchase a record player and use vinyl whenever possible.

Later 2012 (TBD)

• Replace my wardrobe with a bespoke uniform. Wear a suit daily.
• Become a regular at a nice bar and restaurant. Go to each at least weekly.
• Save at least at least 25% of salary each month. This will do much to alleviate financial stress.
• Learn to play the violin and the guitar. Play a bit of Stepmania to keep the mind and reflexes quick.
• Follow a daily routine that involves writing, reading, exercising, cooking, and eating healthily.
• Start a group that is intended to prepare members for PhD and MD study. Take the GRE and MCAT.
• Sleep six hours nightly.

Some of these resolutions from the first quarter will, hopefully, continue into the rest of 2012. I will list my second quarter resolutions near the end of March. I believe this is a good beginning. Many of the things that are listed for later in the year are there because I expect to have much more time available from 1 April.

As always, comments and questions are quite welcome.