My Resolutions for 2009

Time's a flyin away, and I think it's that time of the year to reflect and think about goals for the new year. Next year, we'll go back and see how well I did. =)

Leisure goals

• Spend at least ONE afternoon (Saturday or Sunday afternoon) every other week exploring a part of the San Francisco Bay Area that I haven't been to before. Blog about it.
  
  • Napa / Sonoma
  • Big Sur
  • Lake Tahoe
• Take the train someplace cool. Really enjoy seeing the countryside and traveling, but without all the driving.
• Go overnight camping / backpacking somewhere. Maybe in the spring, when it's not so dang cold.
• Watch more movies in the theater. Indie, foreign films that deserve our support.

 

Health goals

• Actually use the gym in my apartment complex twice a week. It's nice, and as close as could be. It's got everything too. Run. Lift weights. Makes food taste better. Might even live longer.
• Protein shakes with workouts. Work on those guns. LOL
• Sleep at least 7 hours a night. While five is the physical minimum per night, it sure doesn't help with critical and logical thinking. Sleep deprivation takes a toll.
• Sleep by 4 AM every night. Sleeping when the sun comes up sucks, and has become an all too common habit.
• Eat green leafy vegetables at least once every day. Seems easy, and hard, all at the same time.

 

Culinary goals

• Learn how to make:
  • Roasts, including prime rib, in the oven with great marinades and to precisely the right doneness (medium rare)
  • Beef rendang, curry chicken, and other southeast asian dishes
  • Indian food favorites, including butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, saag paneer, dal bhat, and naan
  • Sauces and reductions that have perfect consistency.
• Learn how to bake bread, pastries, pies, and cakes. Do not buy a Kitchenaid unless I can realistically justify the purchase because I'm baking regularly and/or enjoying it.
• Visit a farmers market every other weekend to stock up on vegetables and fruit.
• Don't buy from Safeway/Whole Foods, it's a rip off. Take the bus to Trader Joe's or the asian markets in Chinatown / Clement St.

 

Geeky/productive goals

• Write RSpec/Cucumber tests everywhere all the time. Behavior driven development works. Rails apps are so complicated that manual testing should be a thing of the past.
• Regularly measure user retention and track response to new user features. You can't improve it if you don't consistently measure it.
• Respond to email at specific times three times a day, otherwise do not go into reactive / multitasking mode.
• Log as many 50 minute hardcore nonstop coding times as possible (at least 4 solid hours per day). Take 10 minute breaks to stay fresh.
• Read Hacker News only once a day.
• Start a Rails/MySQL/Scaling/product design blog with friends. Blog at least once a week, something noteworthy and cutting edge that we're doing.
• (stretch goal) - Release an open source Rails plugin/gem that does something useful. Give back to community that has given so much to us.

 

Living Better / Giving Back

• Get a Flip Mino HD and start working on that family history documentary that you've been thinking about doing forever. Time is fleeting, and you won't be able to capture these important stories forever.
• Volunteer time doing what you do best (product design and coding) for organizations that need it (through Reddit's feedaneed.org)

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