Saturday, January 19, 2008

My 50 for 2008

It's that time of the year again... Time to set some goals and take charge. I'm writing below a list of things I want to achieve in this year. And as I achieve each or when I set a new goal, I want to keep coming back here and updating this list.


  1. Come to office by 9:30 a.m. at least 4 days out of 5.
  2. Leave office by 7:30 p.m. at least 3 days out of 5. This is the lower limit. I want to go home early every day.
  3. Call either of my grandmothers every week.
  4. Set a daily task list - either as soon as I come to office or before going home the previous day, preferably the latter.
  5. Get a car before my birthday!
  6. Get a driver's license before I get a car.
  7. Get gifts/sweets for the watchmen in the apartment house.
  8. Be more aggressive in terms of work-productivity.
  9. Log off from gmail and gtalk for two hours everyday. Can be relaxed when there's no work.
  10. Lose 2 inches off my waist.
  11. Find half an hour to read something other than the newspaper everyday.
  12. Avoid washing my hair with hard water.
  13. Join and complete a photography course.
  14. Get a back massage every time I need it.
  15. Do a painting every month.
  16. Go on at least 50% of the treks organized by the Trekkers Club.
  17. Apply face-pack every fortnight.
  18. Take a holiday with my parents.
  19. Take a holiday with my friends.
  20. Visit home at least once in 3-4 months.
  21. Read all of these books.
  22. Clean cobwebs everytime they can be seen.
  23. Call up atleast one of my uncles/aunts/cousins (Pallu not included)/long lost friends every week.
  24. Remember birthdays.
  25. Acquire and maintain toned arms and legs.
  26. Don't buy new clothes untill the wardrobe is cleared of the old.
  27. Do a favor for someone who doesn't know me and has no clue I have helped.
  28. Drink 10 glasses of water everyday.
  29. Write on Rant Factory once a month.
  30. Remove nail-paint as soon as it starts chipping. Keep nails clean and trimmed.
  31. Buy a good pair of jeans in a sale.
  32. Apply sunscreen!
  33. Go to meet my school teachers - Mrs. Pant, Mrs. Rao, Mrs. Kumaran.
  34. Learn swimming.
  35. Learn how to make Dosas.
  36. Have breakfast everyday
  37. Make a monthly budget and stick to it.
  38. Buy a couple of good stocks that can be retained on a long term basis.
  39. Cut out on junk food.
  40. Take mom and dad for a complete physical check-up.
  41. Get a dental check-up done.
  42. Learn to use Photoshop.
  43. Put a watermark on all published pictures.
  44. Learn to do the hoola-hoop.
  45. Listen to music more often.
  46. Watch more movies on DVD.
  47. Keep updating this list.
  48. Visit the spa.
  49. Visit an orphanage and an old-age home.
  50. Pray.
2008, here I come!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Need a read

A list of books that I want to read in 2008.
  1. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Done 18/01/2008
  2. Maximum City
  3. Freakonomics
  4. Harry Potter I - VII - Done 23/07/2008
  5. The Subtle Knife
  6. The Amber Spyglass
  7. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
  8. Lila
  9. The Small Woman - Done 26/07/2008
  10. Far from the Madding Crowd
  11. Cash Flow Quadrant
  12. Lipika
  13. Geetanjali
  14. Julius Ceasar
  15. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Done sometime in Feb
  16. Tuesdays With Morrie - Done 08/09/2008
  17. Madhushala
  18. Madhubala
  19. Madhukalash
  20. Eragon - Done sometime in Nov
  21. Eldest - Done sometime in Nov
  22. Crime and Punishment
  23. Blink - Done sometime in Feb
  24. Shantaram - Done sometime in Aug
  25. 1984 - Done 06/09/2008
  26. Fountainhead
  27. Evening Class - Done sometime in Oct