… and the new year has already accumulated remarkable speed and strength, and I be the surfer, trying to stay on top of the wave…!

Usually I can stay on top of my RSS reading, but it’s only January 3rd and I engaged in more skimming today than actual reading.

I secured one textbook related to Milton Erickson and hypnosis… and then acquired Jane Austen’s Letters… and then received a copy of The Gift (thanks, Andrea!). All in the span of less than one week. (What am I thinking?!)

2008 already promises to be an ambitious year! And, in those years in which I indulge my optimism and idealism, I formally mull over, assess, reassess, tailor, and commit to goals that hopefully have relevance to the quality of my life. The list currently includes things like

• Run 1000 kilometers by December 31st, 2008.
• Eat more vegetables.
• Write and send more hand-written letters.

(Note that I have yet to more concretely quantify some of the goals. What exactly does “more” mean? How will I know that I’ve done “more”? What feedback shall I solicit from myself or from others to confirm that I have done “more”? etc.)

One tactic that I have employed is nicely summarized in Steve Pavlina’s 30 Days to Success. Yes, it may seem a bit hokey, but for those of us who are more comfortable with finalized decisions (versus unresolved situations), 30 day commitments work nicely. (It’s only thirty days. Most of us can do most things for thirty days.)

I’m well into week 2 of eating one salad per day every day for thirty days. (That’s the definition of “more”.) I anticipate that it shall be easier to cut back on eating salads after doing so on a daily basis.

I am hoping to write more stories in 2008; I enjoy storytelling. However, I remain uncertain as to how to quantify this. Inspiration does not come as easily as salad preparation; some days, the Muse is away, presumably preparing her own salads in her distant kitchen. Or something. Furthermore, some of the finer details in life (e.g. work, eating salads, dancing, running, etc.) get in the way of this pursuit. And how I dislike first drafts. We all dislike first drafts.

And, now that the year has officially turned over, I am acutely aware of my waning days in Seattle. Next year, I shan’t see the Christmas tree of lights on top of the Space Needle (indeed, it is already gone—the “12″ flag for the Seahawks now sits atop the point). New York rapidly approaches.

Increased productivity may accompany increased activity, though I have yet to master the art of remaining mindful throughout all of the bustle. And that is also a goal I find difficult to concretely quantify.