Similar to the yearend reflection post, no blog would be complete without one that talks about New Year’s resolutions. Last year, I accomplished all my safety resolutions, which were to stay alive and clean. In addition, I managed to make quite a few new friends and do marketing at more than one job meaning that I kept all my target resolutions except the one about getting a 4.0 for two quarters, but I got pretty close. The reach resolutions were of course more of a joke than anything else, except maybe for the one about the girlfriend, so no use in even going over them. However, despite the overwhelming success there was one big flaw in the resolutions that I had set. Simply stated, they were all accomplished much too quickly, leaving me with no real goals or direction for the rest of the year.
This year I am going to make resolutions that require more of a long term commitment.
Here is this year’s list:
Start and maintain that professional blog
Some of you may know that I have been talking about starting a professional blog since summer. I got the idea from Joy Chen, a headhunter who also writes a professional blog about finding employment in China. Now I have been working on the blog during the abundant amount of down time that I have had in Shanghai, but so far all I have is an introduction and post outlines that are no more than a few words long. I resolve to get my blog launched within the month of January with five posts written. In addition, I resolve to update this professional blog at least once a week.
Get fluent in Chinese
My Chinese has progressed a great deal since landing in Shanghai but after four months I am not even close to fluent. The best I have been able to do is manage broken conversations with the people I meet, where the conversation never gets past my name and where I come from. I wish I had put more effort into learning Chinese during Chinese class but the truth is that I blew off all my academics this semester. I am lucky to have even passed Chinese given how badly I failed the final. It was only with the ridiculous Fudan curve that I was able to get a B. With this in mind, I resolve to get proficient in Chinese by the time I leave in Shanghai and fluent by the end of the year. I have already taken the first steps by setting up a meeting with a private Chinese teacher.
Build that family
Even though I told my mom back in Spring quarter that I was going to try to improve relations with my family, that did not really happen. I got side tracked by all the exciting things happening in life and when I arrived in Shanghai and found family among the MBA students, it lessened my enthusiasm for reconnecting with my own. The level of communication that I have with my mom has improved since Spring quarter and I even talk to my sister every once in awhile on chat, however, it is nowhere near the level that I want it to be. For 2011, I resolve to build that family I had always wanted by getting more involved in the lives of family members, especially my sister.
Find that girlfriend
The only resolution to carry over from last year is also the one that is the least in my control. A lot of things have changed since last year and I believe that I have a better chance than I ever did before. Looking back, I have matured a lot, coming a long way from teasing Ashley to get her attention because I was too scared to tell her outright. Of course, all my growing up will not mean a thing without a little help from lady luck in meeting the right person. I have a good feeling about 2011, so for another year, I resolving to find that girlfriend. Things are off to a good start, Jeanni read me my horoscope for this month and I am destined to form a new relationship. Now if only I had been sober enough to remember to get that number from that pretty girl at the New Year’s party.
-muffinman
