Can it be done?

Can I really, truly, make a resolution work? I have had limited success with New Year resolutions. The only one I can ever remember following through on was cutting out soda for an entire year ... but that only worked for the one year I did it, and now I can down a 2L bottle in an afternoon.

At any rate, my goal for this year is to write (and get accepted) three first author manuscripts this year. I have the data for two of them already collected so this should be an accomplish-able task. Also, since I have a paper already under review, that should count towards one of the accepted papers should things go favorably.

However, in order to achieve this level of success, I need to organize. It's not one of my strong suits, and my desk is a cluttered mess. I know where everything is, but I'm still not organized, and I need to get there. I know it behooves me, for my long term productivity and upward mobility in the ranks of research, to achieve this goal. So, I took my first step in this direction today ...Is increased productivity in my future?
I went out and purchased a daily planner. I tried this last year, with very mixed results ... but I have the fire in my belly this year. I swear! At any rate, I've already started filling out January, which is a good thing because I have a manuscript review and a grant review due in the next few days. I better get cracking!

Did You Make a New Years Resolution?

If it involves working out and/or losing weight, here is a handy tip chart for you. Me, I'm not into the whole resolution thing. I have been committed to losing a few extra pounds that I gained during graduate school, but I didn't feel the need to make a resolution on Jan 1st at 00:00:01 for it. I have found that losing the extra pounds can be done slowly but surely by two things. Exercise and portion control. No need for a fancy diet, or pay out the butt to have a company mail you food. Four to six ounces of meat at dinner along with a healthy salad and a generous helping of green vegetables works just fine.