With another year gone comes another chance to take advantage of what we missed. Heres a quick list of some New Years resolutions that I will be partaking in and some of you may be interested in also…

#1 Get Smarter

This can be as easy as getting a new html/css book or learning about new standards on the web. If your anything like me though you want to try and take it up a notch and do something like learn a new language. On my list to learn this year is Ruby on Rails. I have wanted to learn this language for quite a while now but as with life it gets pushed aside when its not important. However you do it just learn something new.

#2 Get Outside

Go outside and be active. Join a local intramural sports team, go to the gym, go for a run, or hell, just leave the cave where your computer resides and go for a walk. Getting exercise and change from the normal day to day activities can make a huge difference. Since I work from home it can be really hard to get up and leave my computer which is why its important to have some activities planned that make me get out and stay fit.

#3 Get Organized

Everyone has issues with keeping things organized, whether its work meetings, project due dates, appointments, or just the casual hang out with a friend. Finding a way to stay on top of it can be a hassle but it definitely will make life much easier and less stressful. For work organization we at Avelient use a variety of tools to keep on task with projects but our biggest asset is definitely the37signals suite of products. If you haven’t heard of them, definitely check them out. It will make your life easier.

#4 Get Creative

Find a side project to get your creative juices flowing. Monotony will kill the joy that you have for the work that you do. You gotta switch it up and keep your mind working so that you can create better and unique products. Why not tie a new project with the idea from the “Get Smarter” section and create something different while learning a new language. Or another option could be to create something using your current toolset in a different way. As an example if you know JQuery, use JQuery Mobile to setup a new mobile site for your current website and test some of its new features. Just keep that passion that you have for whatever you do.