Toward A New Year

I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions. Or rather, I’ve watched people make New Year’s Resolutions, and watched 99% of them fail, consistently, every year. The problem I have with them is that these resolutions are often things that you feel that you should be doing, but don’t really want to get done.

So this isn’t my list of New Years Resolutions. This is a list of things that I want to do in the future, and it just happens that I’m making this list at the end of this year. I am making no promises to myself or to others that I am going to do these, because honestly, I don’t need them to get by. I like having goals, though, so here goes.

1) Learn Linear Algebra

This is a serious failing on my part. I don’t know linear algebra. I never took a course on it in college. I’ve generally made it so far by faking it, or more accurately picking up pieces of it here and there; just enough to do what I want to do. I’m getting to the point, though, where that isn’t enough. I need an understanding of the subject in order to move forward. This is my first priority right now.

2) Grad School

It’s taken a while, but I think I’ve decided. I want to go back to school. I’m pretty sure that I want to go back for Computer Science now. There’s some wiggle room on what I would do specifically. I’m interested in AI and in Quantum Computing, and to a lesser degree in many other areas (algorithms, some other stuff). Anyway, I think it’s time to get the ball rolling on that. I still want to work on other things, so that if I do end up staying in business, I can support myself freelancing, but I’m going to work toward grad school.

3) Design a Day

I am basically incompetent when it comes to design. This is unfortunate, as it is a skill that I would really like to have. Being able to design websites and logos would enable me to strike out on my own in terms of creating web sites. I’m actually pretty well versed in the theory of design; I spend a lot of time reading about it. Unfortunately, in design, as in many other areas, theory often counts for very little on its own. I have almost nothing in the way of practice. So, inspired by a Smashing Magazine article¹, I’m going to try to design something every day for next year. I doubt I’ll end up doing it, but hey, you never get anywhere if you don’t try. I’ll post the results of my endeavors up here for people to oggle and laugh at.

4) Classical Mechanics

I’d like to learn some classical mechanics. I had the barest bit in high school, but have forgotten most of it, and it was non-calculus anyway, so I’ll basically be starting over. My endgame here is that I’d like to get into Quantum Mechanics, and at the same time into Quantum Computing. Obviously, I’ll need to go a long way before that can happen (see my above section about Linear Algebra), but it’s not really like I’m in any hurry at this point. I do also want to get a better grasp on Classical Mechanics, so it’s not all about moving on, but I admit it mostly is.

5) Piano

I’d like to continue learning piano. I’m taking a break from lessons for a bit to get things together, but I want to continue practicing (at least a bit), and to go back to it sometime in the spring. I am going to make it through the red book.

I have some other goals for the year, but they’re minor compared to these ones. I’d like to do some writing, and to participate in NaNo (and maybe win) if I have time, but they aren’t priorities this year.

1. http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/12/22/design-something-every-day/ [↩]