New Year’s Resolutions: Kaizen

So 2006 is over. Have you recovered from the excesses and sleep deprivation of the New Year’s Eve celebrations? Like lots of people, around this time I always think about all the possibilities the New Year offers, and all the things I hope to achieve through continuous and incremental self-improvement. I think this is what’s known as the Japanese concept of Kaizen, and this year I’ve again made a number of resolutions. Most of them are geared towards trying not to waste time, so that I can do things I’ve always promised myself to do (like spend more time with friends, learn to speak Spanish and write a review article). Lately, I’ve been spending more and more time in the lab, and recently even brought my sleeping bag into the office. I’m a bit worried that I’m losing touch with other things and people, and hopefully I can try to address this by getting back the odd few minutes here and there.

I’m putting the resolutions down here not because I think you’ll be interested, but since many I’ve made in the past have failed. Perhaps this was because I didn’t actually want to do whatever it was or because it was just too hard to do, but I hope this entry be a reminder and source of encouragement. Sending you vibes and wishing you all the best with any resolutions you make.

1. I’ll make a rough plan of my week every Sunday.
2. I’ll appreciate friends more and set aside time every week to call and meet up in person.
3. I’ll get my clothes and bag ready for the next day the night beforehand.
4. I’ll wake up soon as my alarm clock goes off in the morning, and use that time to clean my room.
5. I’ll reply to emails as soon as I get them.
6. I’ll learn how to floss.
7. I’ll cook for the family once a week.
8. I’ll send an update of my work to my supervisor every Friday.
9. I’ll try and update the blog more regularly (whenever I have something to say), and contribute to friends’ blogs more.
10. I’ll become a dude.