S.M.A.R.T. Resolutions for 2007!

Holy shit it's 2007 already? :-) One of my favorite times of year. Yes, I dislike New Year's as a holiday, but I love the resolutions. The last two years' worth have gone well and perhaps may be the reasons why I am a college graduate and a solver of Rubik's Cubes. ;-)

Before I begin, let's make one thing clear. The biggest change in 2007 will be fatherhood. Rest assured, I am prepared for the change. Since making up a 2007 resolution like "be a great dad" or "change 10 diapers" are either stupid or obvious, my resolutions will not include such things.

IT DOESN'T MEAN I WON'T DO IT! ;-)

So, if they sound superficial, that's because they are. They are fun! So deal! *cough* OK, without further ado, my 2007 resolutions:

1) Learn how to play, and win one game of, Go.

A few months ago, I bought a book on Go. I have never seen, touched, played, or have any idea how Go is played. I want to learn Go. My goal is to learn it completely from scratch and win one online game.

2) Pay off all our remaining credit card debt.

I want to bring the American Express bill to ZERO. At this point, we would have no unsecured debt and can begin saving and investing extra money each month. I want to reach this mark soon.

It is a very import financial step.

3) Teach Cedric baby sign language.

This is the one baby-related resolution, because it is totally optional. US law states that I must feed, shelter, and change the diapers on my baby. Nothing says I must teach them sign language. :-)

For over a year I have told Michele that sign language would be my pet project for baby Cedric. I've seen first hand how effective it can be. I'll learn and teach it to Cedric very early.

My resolution is to have baby Cedric relay THREE signs to me correctly. OK, Cedric, your sharing responsibility for this one. Ya ready, kiddo?

4) Play DDR 100 times.

Sounds weird. The point is exercise. With a baby on the way, I can't be lax. So my goal is to play 100 DDR games. That's at least a half-hour session -- no easies. :-) This will be good for staying fit.

5) Learn how to type.

Yes, I said it. I can't type. I've been called the "fastest hunt-and-pecker" in the world by some of my peers and college mates. This year, I need to learn to type for real. This will be VERY difficult. But, this is a perfect resolution. I love these challenges.

My goal is to reach 50 WPM. (I don't know, does this seem reasonable?)

6) Obtain at least one work certification.
I'm sort of an old-time programmer. I prefer typing all my code out by hand, I prefer cohesive development languages instead of robust environments, and I prefer a more eclectic knowledge of languages to being good at any one thing.

I hope to change that this year. I'd like to keep my focus strictly on Java and Ruby. And I hope to obtain a Java certification, likely in something JSF related. Maybe? I want at least one to get me going.