New Year:

There is a great quote attributed to Martha Washington, "I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition." Typically, I see this quote at the end of emails at work and sometimes in other places around the 'net. In my opinion the late Mrs. Washington is correct. Her insight does not make being 'cheerful and happy' any easier in difficult situations, but in my experience when one is determined to square his shoulders and make the best of it, that individual finds out things are not so bad as they first thought.

2013 was that kind of year for me. I recovered from a major back injury while starting a challenging new graduate program and decided to take writing seriously-- all while working full time. Later in the year, I also chose to climb a mountain and start learning Mandarin. Looking back, I think overloading myself with challenges while keeping a good attitude brought about a positive in almost every facet of my life. The number of challenges might have been a bit much, but they sure were fun.

Looking ahead, 2014 will probably be similar. I plan on continuing with school and all my other projects, but this time I'm going to be a bit more systematic about it. To accomplish this, I've created a spreadsheet and hung a white erase board/calendar on my wall. The ability to track my success or failure each day should help me avoid doing everything by the seat of my pants. At least, that's the theory.

So here's to 2014. May it be productive as well as cheerful and happy.