I'm not a big fan of "New Year's Resolutions" or anything like that, but this year was a very opportune time for me to set a goal in my life and attain it.

Since I was changing jobs, changing housing, and basically plunging into a completely different lifestyle than I have been used to for so long, I was at a really great risk for stress. I've been really fortunate to have a close friend who is willing to let me rent a room, and to live close enough that Mom and Dad can still visit (and vice-versa). However, having worked a manual labor job for so long, and having dealt face-to-face with customers so much, I've pretty much been shocked with the sit-around-and-hardly-move job I now have.

The sheer volume of work that needs done on a daily basis at the office is enough to stress anyone out. The thing about it, that amount of due work is just the same when I leave at the end of the day as it is at the beginning. It would be really easy to let that get to you, especially when there have been some rather complicated issues throughout the day.

I made this decision to not stress about things, though. It may be look at as a bad mental state to get in, but I've decided that when I leave the office, the work stays there. It's not my business to have to run, and the staff is large enough and fully capable of handling nearly any situation that may arise.

Then there's the living situation... What does it gain me to worry about everything? I mean, the transmission in my car has been acting funky, the EGR valve on the thing is defective (it's stuck shut, if anyone is wondering -- no big issue). I sleep on a mattress on the floor, and my shower doesn't drain properly (though it should be fixed soon). What's important is that I have a place to live, I have food to eat, I don't have to be out in the cold, and I have a fairly reliable means of transportation. On top of that, I have a loving family, caring friends, and nothing else could really be better!

So, my resolution: Don't stress about anything.