Looking forward to next year...

19 days to the end of the year and I cannot wait for 2009 to arrive. This year has not been as good for me as I hoped it would be. I will not admit that this was my worst year yet, but I will not deny the fact that 2008 was full of setbacks for me. I am so far from where I should be at this stage of my life. But I never gave up, and no matter how bad this year has turned out for me, I have more than enough reasons to remain hopeful that I can get back on track soon. And so, I am listing a few things that I plan to do and hope to happen to me in 2009.

1. With God’s help and guidance, I will continue to lead the KADIWA organization in my district. We have already laid out our plans for the next year, from major district events to implementing processes aimed at strengthening the locale officers. I am optimistic that we can continue to build on the successes of our recent activities.
2. I will start saving up again for the future. I am way behind now, but I intend to do this by maintaining a stable job, at the same time starting a new business with my friends. We plan to venture into events management, as we realized our potential to organize big events during our church activities. I also plan to open another business that will most likely give a stable everyday income, like a food stall.
3. If I can already afford it, I’ll have my parents retire by taking over our store. While they are still significantly strong for their age, the work they’re putting in has been taking its toll on them. I plan and hope for my parents to enjoy old age with their health still intact.
4. I plan to be healthier myself. I will maintain a weight between 170-180 lbs, but with less fat on my belly and more mass on my muscles. I’m not getting any younger, it’s not getting easier to achieve a six-pack. Haha! I will play more basketball, badminton and by midyear, I will go back to the gym.
5. I will expand my horizon. I will continue to write more, at least once a week I will compose a blog post. It doesn’t matter what my topic will be, it could be my experiences or my opinions on just about anything. I will seriously consider the offer to be part of the newscast in our church’s TV network, and once I commit myself to it, I will do everything to excel in the field.
6. I am going to dispose of bad habits. My tardiness, my excuses, half hearted efforts are threats against my ambitions. I have to find ways to be rid of these.
7. I will devote more effort and time for the improvement of the welfare of our brethren who are incarcerated in NBP. The visits I have made there in the past two months have a profound effect on me. I want to give something back to show my appreciation.
8. I pray and hope to meet the woman I will spend the rest of my life with. While I may already have met her (and I fervently hope so), I wish that I will be fully aware of that next year. God-willing, I will enter into a relationship with her. I have no plans to get married yet, but it’s always a good feeling to be in love and be loved in return. Besides, I wish to spend enough time first with her before we start spending the rest of our lives together. I already have someone in mind, but right now, the chances that she is that woman are slim, and this is all I can say about this or I will give myself away already.

I am aware of the possibility that not all of these will happen, and by some shrewd luck, none of these may even be realized. But listing these things down and posting them for anyone to see gives me some motivation, and more importantly, commitment. With God’s help, and enough work on my part, I will achieve all these things.