It’s that time of year when people start to think about new year’s resolutions. Personally I don’t do them any more (if you have an idea for improvement, why wait until next year?), but nonetheless the end of the year is a great time for reflection and planning.

With that in mind, I thought I’d share a few suggestions for 2011.

• Try to read a book every fortnight.
• Every book you read, do a short review and post it online. It’s a good way of sharing the knowledge, and it’ll help you process the ideas in the book.
• Every book you read, write a list of the 10 most useful ideas in it. Again, this is a good way of actively engaging with written material.
• Meet regularly with friends and discuss how to solve problems that affect you (at family/community/society level). It may seem like nothing, but it’s how meaningful social change starts!
• Watch a good documentary or lecture every week. This is especially important if you’re not a big reader.
• Support music that’s worthy of support. Reject bullshit. There are so many artists making phenomenal music out there; let’s carry on supporting and promoting them.
• Think about finding a way of making money that is socially useful and not destructive.
• Address your own prejudices. Every single day. We all have prejudices (social conditioning is a powerful thing), and by admitting their existence, giving them a name, we are better placed to deal with them.
• Get adequate sleep, exercise on the regs, stretch daily, eat sensibly. This basic stuff will help you get everything else done.
• Drop that bad habit of interrupting people. Listen more than you talk. (And yes, I’m a terrible culprit on this one).
• Prefer unity. Differences are inevitable. We unite on the basis of a simple common platform for progress. Unity is really difficult, and it requires courage, persistence, vigilance, tolerance, compassion and patience to make it happen.
• Do some youth work or some mentoring. Break down the generation gap. Young people are the future; learn from them and they will learn from you.
• Engage with your kids. Give them a moral/cultural base that society can’t destroy.
• Learn how to touch type! You’ll save time.
• Don’t let shyness or lack of confidence get in the way of doing the right thing.
• Learn a musical instrument instrument (I’m thinking about learning trumpet! Am already ok at guitar and keys)
• Fight the system. Build for the future.

Please add your suggestions in the comments!