2017 was not a great year for a lot of reasons. I think many of us feel like we could use a fresh start in 2018. To that end, what are your personal resolutions for the new year?
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I have the nasty habit of upgrading my home theater system with the latest tech promising improved picture and audio, and I admit to being pretty bad this past year because of 4k Ultra HD. My resolution is not to stop from collecting UHD discs because, after all, that’s just insanity. Instead, my resolution is to fight the temptation of upgrading to separate streaming devices, which I’ve been pretty good at avoiding so far. However, with rumors of Apple possibly looking into buying Netflix and Disney exploring options of starting its own streaming service after the acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the temptation is going to be tougher to resist this year. All fingers are pointing to 2018 being the year of streaming 4k content, so my fingers are crossed to stay true to my New Year’s resolution.<\/p>\n
Every year, I resolve to get more exercise, which I start off well but ultimately burn myself out. This year, instead of repeating failed attempts of years past, I’ve decided that instead of attempting to control my weight with exercise, I’ll give it shot with better planned meals. I’ve watched my brother thin out simply by cutting back on carbs, so I’m lessening my carb intake and eating only planned meals and snacks between a certain “eating window.” Known as a form of “intermittent fasting,” I will only be eating around 1,600 calories between noon and 6 PM each day. Combined with my running routine, which has been in place for four years straight, I’m hoping to get healthier.<\/p>\n
In terms of entertainment, I also resolve to watch more television, which sounds funny to say aloud. I’m so wrapped up in movies that it takes me a long time to get around to TV. I’ve wanted to watch it since it debuted, but I just barely got around to watching ‘11.22.63’ on Hulu. There are plenty of other acclaimed series on my watch list that I’d like to get through. Aside from the brief seasons of ‘Fargo’, ‘Better Call Saul’, ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’, ‘Legion’ and ‘Game of Thrones’, the only TV I get around to is long after its air date. Over the last three months, my oldest daughter and I have made it through the first season of ‘Quantum Leap’. I’d like to speed up and get her through the series quicker so we can move onto something more recent.<\/p>\n
Getting healthy and watching more TV. Those are two New Year’s resolutions that you’re not likely to see paired together often.<\/p>\n
At the end of the 2016, I found myself resolving to stem the backlog of media (games, movies, etc.) and tech (gadgets, gear, etc.) that I seem to accrue without sufficient time and focus to consume and utilize. In 2017, I did pretty well with this foible until the end of the year when the holiday rush of releases hit me like a barrage. (Free and great deal items have an allure for me as well.) I guess that holiday surge is to be expected, and it’s followed by the relatively slow January and February time. Even so, whether it’s the March release of the Nintendo Switch or the early summer decision to get back into vinyl with a new turntable, the backlog creeped up all year (and pushed the 2016 backlog out of consideration). For 2017, I need to keep media and tech accumulation to a will-use fairly quickly\/regularly standard (or at least 80% or better).<\/p>\n
I’m cursed with a collector’s mentality, so what would be common sense for most people requires a New Year’s resolution for me. This year, I’m going to make an effort to stop buying things out of a sense of obligation. Just because something comes out on Ultra HD Blu-ray doesn’t mean I have to rush out and upgrade. I don’t have to continue grabbing TV-on-BD season sets just to keep a collection complete when these same shows are already on Netflix. I’ve slowly started to realize that I don’t have to buy movies I’m not all that interested in just so I can feel like I’m part of the conversation. I’m sure I’ll continue to spend good money on ridiculous movies I’ll only ever watch once (as if I could ever resist the siren song of ‘Tobor the Great’!), but I at least want to limit myself to titles that genuinely excite me.<\/p>\n