I’ve thought of an alternative to the dreaded New Year’s Resolution. During the holiday hustle and bustle, or what our beloved T. Bubba Bechtol refers to as “Tween,” the time between Christmas and New Years, I’m going to set aside some time to make a list. And on that list, I’m not going to put down one or two resolutions. I’m going to put down 365 daily resolutions. After I’ve complied a list of daily resolutions, I’m going to place each one into a hat or box or bag and chose one each day to fulfill. Here is what I was thinking of putting on the list.

Visit the Gulf of Mexico today. I might put in a bunch of those because I can never get enough of the Gulf. There are few feelings better than the calming effects of hearing Gulf waves.

Call one of my fraternity brothers. Hank and Jonathan always seem to find the time to call me; it’s time I call them back.

Write a journal entry today. I’ve got nothing on Anne Frank with my intermittent entries that can have an expanse of over a year.

Hand-write a letter today. I’ve got a few friends who are still stellar at hand-written communication along with those things they call stamps. May give that a try.

Plan a nice trip with a friend. People are always asking me, “How’s work going?” or “How are things?” I usually answer “Busy.” I will start taking time with the people I care about and remind me that life doesn’t have to be so busy.

Cook dinner for friends. I’ve been lucky enough to find a roommate who loves to cook and who is good at it, but I’d love to giver her a run for her money with my homemade Alfredo sauce.

Take an artistic picture today. I’m often struck by beauty that surrounds me, but I never remember to have a camera handy.

Hang up the phone and drive. Enough said.

Make a card for someone’s birthday. Yeah, it’s a little sappy, but I love to get homemade cards. Who doesn’t, really?

Remember my faith. Start thanking God for the much smaller things like the perfect coffee made by a co-worker or running into an old friend at the grocery store.

Don’t avoid confrontation. Along with becoming more and more of an adult, I have to start realizing sometimes confrontation with an open mind is nothing more than a constructive conversation.

Call a family member today.

My parents’ “empty nest” syndrome has affected me. My sister Courtney is living with her husband Tom in Mobile. The youngest Matthew is stationed at Cherry Point. Baz Lurhman wrote in “The Sunscreen Song,” “Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.”

Remember it’s not all about me. This is a tough one. I tend to get a little ridiculous about myself, so this day, I’ll go out of my way not to use “I” or “me.”

Give up the grudge. I’ve got a few. It doesn’t do anyone any good.

Do something early. My profession thrives on deadlines. There’s no reason I can’t surprise my publishers with an early article. That’s why I get paid the big bucks, right?

Tell someone I love him or her and really mean it today. This is a tough one too. We get so programmed that we forget to let go. When they know you mean it, they’ll mean it when they say it back.

Watch the sunset today. I’ll probably put a bunch of these in as well. It’s a great feeling to catch a sunset, but it’s exciting to plan to catch it.

Watch the sunrise today. I probably won’t put at many of these in as the sunset, but for cliché purposes, couldn’t leave out the sunset: a new beginning. Kind of like having New Year’s every day.

Donate something to charity today. Charity doesn’t mean ebay.

I could go on for a while. Feel free to use my ideas, for they all mean something pretty special. I’m going to try it out this next year rather than the blanketed “exercise” or “having to resort to padlocking the refrigerator.” I’ll give you an update, if I’m not too busy watching the sunset or writing an early article.