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New Year's Resolution

For me, keeping new year's resolutions is about as hard as getting up early in the morning on Sundays in the interest of "being productive".

Much like getting up early, a resolution seems like a noble cause to aim for, but once the time comes, it seems so much easier to pull the covers over your ears and ignore the nagging voice in your head urging you to, at least once, live up to the promises you made to yourself, not long ago.

Thus, due to what economists call θ, or "time preference"* I will no doubt find myself, as millions of my commiserates on earth reneging on my oh so well meant promises.

Though this year will undoubtedly be no different, I will attempt to circumvent the problem by using a "shock and awe" approach: brainstorm so many resolutions, that by force of sheer statistical probability, I will be bound to achieve at least one.

1. Re-start blogging

2. Learn Sailing

3. play (more) violin

4. re-discover the art of writing (to illustrate the depth of my destitution, it suffices to say that it took me 2 minutes to properly formulate this point)

5. attend more political events (like book clubs).

6. focus, instead of just on input-related activities (reading the Economist, going to museums), also on output-related activities (writing, painting)

7. refocus on core values (like living for knowledge, insight, conversation)

8. develop a certain positive attitude to work

9. do something crazy

10. learn to cook

11. continue to attempt speed reading

12. ...aaand the obligatory last point: go to the gym more often

Note the way, however, you might only know about my success at points 2-12, if I don't break resolution 1. And, as we know, that one can be a hard enough resolution to follow

* (and what is tellingly in essence just another sort of egotism enjoyed by homines oeconomici - this time against their own future selves)