Happy New Year

I love the start of a new year. Newness is my thing. It's like a drug to me. I crave the excitement of the unfamiliar. Starting a new year always gives me a little psychological boost that helps me to re-evaluate and re-energize.

In general, I don't make specific resolutions like "lose 10 pounds." I aim for big-picture attitude adjustments like "be more spontaneous" (the year I moved to Santa Barbara) or "live without fear" (the year I went to Japan and Ecuador and took creative writing classes instead of working). Doing things instead of working is kind of a running theme in my life. But I like to think that living semi-recklessly is just another way of refilling the well. Being a wastrel is pretty much de rigueur for professional writers, I think.

Anyway, as it turns out, I made some pretty big changes at the end of '07. It's time for me to make a responsible resolution for a change. So '08 is the year that I've decided to be extra awesome. And an extra awesome New Year to all of you.