New Years' Revolutions! (not a mispelling---I mean revolution)

I don't like New Years' Resolutions, but I wanted to write some goals down, and it happens to be the New Year. . . so here goes:

1. Use more semi-colons and less parenthesis. I use parenthetical statements a lot (probably too much). I think the many times I could just drop the parenthesis, and other times maybe it would be better just not to express what I typically put in the parens. . . and the semi-colon half of this goal is mostly because I under use colons and semicolons. This is about balance and the fact that semi-colons look awesome.

2. Date more. I don't date a lot. Part of my apprehension stems from a fear of asking girls out. I think that if I get better at doing things that I am afraid of doing (like asking girls out) then I can get better at doing other things that I am afraid of doing; being practiced in the art of getting over myself and doing stuff that I should do, but don't want to do ought to help out when I go on my mission.

3. Prepare for/go on my mission. I am nineteen. I have a testimony of my God, and my Religion. . . this is what I need to do (I plan on finishing this semester of school and leaving sometime this summer :D ).

4. Write more and better. I like to write, however, I need to take more time to write in my blog and in my personal journals. When I pass on, I what my various exploits to be easily read by those who would like to remember me. . . and plus journal and blog writing are healthy and cathartic (When I first started my blog a buddy of mine sent me a link to a news article about a study that showed that blogging helped fight off insomnia). My classes next semester will help with this goal, I have a couple of English courses next semester. . .

5. Read more of the blogs that I like. They range from the helpful to the interesting to the just plain odd to family blog. . . but they are cool. I would also like to add other cool ones. . . let me know if you have a favorite that I might like. Right now, I read, with varying frequency, Stuff White People Like, 1,001 Rules For My Un-born Son, Badass of the Week, Food Gawker, and The Art of Manliness.

6. Write more hand-written letters (and thank-you notes). I have good handwriting, why waste it? Writing a letter by hand shows takes time an effort. This effort usually goes unappriated. Receiving a letter that is hand written is a beautiful experience. I also will write many more Thank-you notes. The writing of a Thank-you note is a dying art. . . I want to be part of the movement that revitalizes the note. The only problem is that I can't get myself to write them.

7. Be More Refined. I need to be more refined. I need to be the sort of man which could be either the butler or the gentleman that the butler is butler-ing. I need to be a gentleman. To achieve the level of refinement that I am talking about will take a lot of adjustment of my daily habits and behaviours. Winston Churchill said: "We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out." This quote reflects lessons that I have learned and relearned, but have never really learned or mastered. Maybe that doesn't make sense, nevertheless, I want to become a master over myself. This isn't just in the realm of my words, either. I hope to be a lot better at reigning in my coquettish impulse when in public and to be a perfect gentleman in every situation that I find myself in. I would also like to be better at talking to people of all sorts, of all creeds, classes, faiths, and nations.