New Years Resolutions

So... I've lived long enough to see New Year's resolution came and went unnoticed. I have come up with a resolution for year 2007, but I need to be sure that I can find somewhere in my little mind to stick to my willpower which sometime is just not visible anywhere.

The following are some case studies from the past couple of years.

Resolutions for 2004

1) To be spontaneous
2) To pick up a new musical instrument

All who knows me are sometime frustrated with how extremely organized I can get. I plan and research everything to the very last detail, to ensure that I have all the information I need and might need in hand. You know, just in case. And I usually take advantage of all the information to make it 100% useful.
Back then, I was working my full time job during the week and every Sundays I hosted shows at the Tokyo Sesame Place with Big Bird, Elmo and the likes. In a week I only had 1 weekend day. I had to plan my Sundays a month in advance, because I only get 1 Sunday free. The Sundays I work with Sesame Street I had to leave my house at 6.15 AM and I will return home at 7 PM at the earliest or 9:30 PM if I had to host birthday parties at the park.
Because of this, for almost two years, I lived on a schedule. The only available day I had for personal life is on Saturdays. Therefore to be able to utilize a Saturday to the max, I had to plan ahead of time and make sure I can pack as many things or see as many friends as I could in that slot.
Anyways... after sometime I got so depressed. Relaxing shouldn't be this hard. So, I decided to take charge and be more spontaneous. So I stopped planning. I stopped looking at my diary and confirm with friends 4 days ahead of time max.
This approach didn't work. One thing I didn't take into account was that to be spontaneous with your friends require your friends to be as spontaneous as you are. While I deliberately stopped planning ahead, the other people didn't need to. So with the action = reaction theory, I realized that it wasn't working. Besides... I'm a planner, it is bothering me when I can't anticipate what's going to happen.

At the end of my 2nd year contract, March 31st 2004, regardless how much I loved being with the kids, performing, singing and dancing - the pay didn't foot the monthly bills. It was a hobby job. And sometime grownups have to make smart decision. I quit the MC job and freelanced whenever they have big shows that required an English speaking MC for the off-site shows. It was a big decision, saddening, but ever since then I was finally able to have a quality life.

This then left me with a new window to pick up a new musical instrument. I picked up taiko drumming... and hey! the rest is history. Still doing it, still loving it.

Resolutions for 2005 and 2006

1) To have one night off every week
2) To pick up a new hobby or pick up a new musical instrument

The first one had been rather successful. While not 100%, at least in 75% of my weeks in 2005 and 2006, I was able to have 1 night off every week.
For item number 2, in 2005 I was sticking to my taiko drumming life and was shopping around for new hobbies. This became much more challenging than I thought it could. I've instruments-hopped so much in my life that I couldn't think of any new instruments to pick up. And thinking of a new hobby actually pained me. I had so much going on hobby-wise that it was draining me.
So, in aggregate, I came down to this

2005: sticking to taiko drumming and returning to classical guitar.

2006: I ditched my acoustic band, sticked to taiko drumming and classical guitar and latter in the year I began studying fue (Japanese flute).
New/old hobby: I joined an all-female futsal team

Finally... Resolutions for 2007

Oh, I'm scared. I have 3 things in my list

1) To have one night off every week
2) To pick up a new or return to a previously studied musical instrument (maybe returning to a piano again. It's been 10 years...)
3) To go back in shape: more committed to my weekly sport schedule (never skip anymore of that weekly futsal/soccer training, cycle everyday to work, to make full use of that darned gym membership, go jogging a lot more)

Well, I'm trying to be realistic. I just don't know how I can do so many things at once with an increasingly busy schedule at work and a pile of books waiting to be read at home. Oh dear... What have I got myself into?

A friendly farewell the characters threw for me to say goodbye after 2 years of togetherness