My First New Year's List

Happy New Year!

After brunch today, I resolved to sit down and make a list. It just occurred to me that I really need to (as in seriously need to) reassess where I am in the larger scheme of things.

In the last seven years, I have been in career limbo mainly out of a sense of loyalty; I need to reassess this vis-à-vis larger career plans and practical considerations. Had I not gotten stuck where I am, I would probably be earning double my current rate and probably driving around in a new car. But then again, I probably would not have been able to teach and indulge in my other passion which is mentoring young people. Anyway.

In the last few months, my body has been showing signs of serious malfunctioning. I have this constant pain in my right elbow which I ascribe to some kind of carpal tunnel syndrome (it hurts after I spend some time in front of the PC). My hypertension has been relatively low and stable (110/90) in the last three months although it can be argued that that’s because I am taking medication every day. And my tummy has been acting up a lot lately. The strange thing is that I have seen many specialists who, while not exactly baffled at my condition, basically give the same advice: take some medicines for two weeks, watch what you eat, and get some exercise. Maybe it is time I take their advice seriously.

So given this context, here is my New Year’s list of to do things:

1. I will exercise more regularly. Yes I will. I swear to enroll in a gym within this first quarter, and make sure I schedule a fixed time and day for a serious work out every week. At the same time, I swear I will begin brisk walking at night, or probably use my old stationary bike again. Whatever.

2. I will watch what I eat. In the last six months, I have lost some 20 lbs already doing my own version of phase 2 of the South Beach Diet. I will continue doing this. I will also continue watching my salt intake as well as my general carbo intake.

3. I will limit my involvement in PMAP to the three committees I signed up for, no more.

4. I will accept no more than two thesis groups per term at school. I will also try not to do all the work for students – I will give my students most of the work, and this term I will start reporting tasks. Let us see if they can do it.

5. I will seriously reevaluate my career. I will seek professional help and counseling to get me out of this fix.

6. I will be debt free at the end of the year. At the same time, I will start saving up.

7. I will seriously consider submitting an entry to the Palanca awards in the essay category (yeah, laugh now…I swear I will win one of these days).

8. I will learn to say no.

There. I made my first New Year’s list.

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