I didn't even last a week. Three days into my resolution, I logged on to Facebook. In my defense, it was quasi-accidental. Here's what happened:

When I meet new, interesting people, I often Google them to find out a little bit about their background, their accomplishments,
or anything else that might be interesting. These Googlings are surprisingly effective and fruitful.

So a couple of days ago, I was Googling someone, and a link to their Facebook profile appeared in Google's search results. These results are a relatively new feature of Facebook-- in the past, Facebook didn't expose their accounts to Google's searches-- so I was intrigued when I saw the link and knew it would be a good source of information, since it was essentially maintained by the person themselves.

When I clicked the link, I had to login. When I logged in, I saw the person's profile, which I read. It wasn't until I had finished reading that I realized what I had done: I was on Facebook. Fuck! Essentially, I was in my "research" mode, whereas when I usually go on Facebook, I am in "killing time" mode; I connect Facebook with doing nothing productive, so I was unable to connect a legitimate use of Facebook with my resolution.

I logged out immediately. I did not read any mail, check any of my friends' walls, open my notifications, or any of the normal things I do when using the site, so I am cutting myself some slack: I am starting this resolution over again.

So I have finally decided on my New Year's Resolutions for 2008. After spending 2007 without having a drink of alcohol, I feel like I need to do something at least as difficult this year.

To recap, my resolutions last year were:

1. No booze (Check!)
2. Write on my blog every week (Not so much!)
3. Make a concerted effort to meet my future wife (Maybe?)

For 2008, I've decided on the following:

• Health
  1. Flexibility: be able to touch my toes (seriously)
  2. Fitness: bench press my weight 3 times, do 60 situps in a minute, and run 5K in under 25 minutes
  3. Eating: finish half of what I cook for meals and eat out only once per week
• Wealth
  1. Contribute regularly to an RRSP
  2. Consolidate my remaining debt and eliminate 33%
  3. Buy less expensive/used items as much as possible
• Wisdom
  1. Only check Facebook once a week
  2. Take notes when reading important books relating to my masters
  3. Make time to catch up with family and friends

Oddly, of all of these, the Facebook one will be the hardest to keep. I've been thinking about them over the past couple of weeks, and every time I feel the urge to Facebook, I remind myself that I will have to learn to say no. But I don't want to. It is an urge that goes far beyond any urge I ever had to drink alcohol.

Facebook is an amazing phenomenon. Despite its repeated, inexcusable privacy debacles, not only has it survived, but Microsoft recently spent over $200 million dollars to buy a 1% share! It is such a time vacuum that many professional workplaces have blocked it from their computers. In other words, they don't trust that their employees will be able to resist it long enough to complete their work-related duties.

If you don't think this is a serious addiction, note that there are already two websites ready to setup 12-step plans once people realize they can't kick the habit.