The time has come to gulp down the pumpkin pie and before you load up on Turkey, Ham, Roast Beef or a nice Vegetarian cuisine, to consider your goals and objectives for the year. Notice I didn't say resolutions. Of course, if you start off the resolution sentence with "I resolve to..." then that will work just fine along with your goals and objectives.

I'd like to share some of mine and see if you have any that fit yours. Then, I would like to invite the community to add any, one wishes to share. Here goes. I want to:

1. Write three howtos to benefit Linux users.
2. Make more money than I have since 2001.
3. Work only 40 hours a week at my day job.
4. Learn more about load balancing Apache web servers.
5. Incorporate an increased knowledge of load balancing into my work.
6. Contribute significantly to an under documented project.
7. Take a two week vacation out of the US.
8. Covert users of other operating systems to Linux desktops and servers.
9. Write positive comments.
10. Learn an open source programming language used in web services.

Now, some resolutions. I resolve to:

1. Stop criticizing comments people write in forums, after articles and on mailing lists.
2. Notice arrogance and bite my tongue figuratively.
3. End vitriolic comments.
4. Focus my support of Linux and open source projects to select ones and stick with it rather than hop from project to project.
5. Allow people to learn for themselves rather than jump-in and tell them how to do something.
6. Stop reciting my resume to people who disagree with me.
7. Treat others with respect and admiration even if they behave in ways I don't like.
8. Keep a job for a minimum of one year.
9. Not to leave a job if I don't like the technology they use.
10. Act appropriately toward people who think Linux is an air conditioning company.

I'd also like to get one of the vintage wrist watches I take apart to work when I put it back together. That's an important short-term objective. It has to do with expanding my horizons and stepping out of compulsive IT work. I think it gives me an "out of the box" perspective. Tinkering often leads to a break through even if one doesn't have an objective in mind.

What do I think of goals, objectives and resolutions? I believe that setting at the beginning of the year has some futility associated with it. Perhaps working with one of each in January might work. Then during the year, pick another and start working on that one.

I believe it's a good idea to write them all down today, so I have a record of them. Then as the year progresses, I can reflect on the things I considered when I wrote them. I often scratch several out and add another one or two. If I make progress on a couple during the year, I consider myself luck. At least I don't smoke now. That was a resolution I achieved twelve years ago. I think I keep that one for the rest of my life.

Here's looking at ja!

Happy New Year!
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