2007 was a great year for myself and this blog. I started a company with some great people and gained some business sense from dealing with the inner workings of a startup directly. PaulStamatiou.com received a revamp complete with new logo and branding. I got to ride in CMU's winning DARPA Urban Challenge SUV, starred in a Nike+ ad, received Dean's List and Faculty Honors merits for semesters in 2007 and a few other noteworthy events.
But how can 2008 top that? Well, if all goes as planned I will have just graduated from Georgia Tech this time next year and started my real life. Without further ado, here is my tech new year's resolution.
Less Clutter
As I prepare to get in the California/startup life mode, I plan on having less and thus leading a simpler life. I just have too much crap, for lack of a better word. I keep telling myself I'm going to move to California with just my laptop and a suitcase of clothes. I've started decluttering in the last few months by throwing out stuff I didn't need and sending home the more valuable but still useless things I own. By having less clutter, I feel I have to less things to worry about and less stuff floating around in my mind.
The clutter-free Steve Jobs at home in 1982. Photo credit: Diana Walker
Take for example my small DVD collection. I don't often rewatch movies so having them taking up space in my room was a waste. I'll also stop buying DVDs - both for the clutter factor and that DVD is eventually going to dwindle away in favor of a newer HD format (my money is on Blu-ray, but I'll leave that for another post). The same goes for my large collection of tech/programming books that spend their time sitting on my bookshelf only to be flipped through once every few months for reference. To get an idea of where I'm coming from, read Paul Graham's Stuff essay.
It's this clutter-free lifestyle that has me thinking whether I even need such a large display; besides, Spaces in Leopard is my savior.
This also corresponds to my workflow and how I deal with my computer. I keep much of my data online with S3 and should my hard drive die randomly one day, I won't feel much more than a speed bump. That allows my computer to be clutter-free as well and just have the few applications and music I need.
Normally I would have more resolutions but I think this is the only one I plan to focus on for 2008. What are your new year's resolutions?