The past couple of years, I’ve posted a sort of year-in-review entry here at JeffCroft.com in late December or early January. I was getting set to do that again, and I decided I might rather look forward than back — at least for tonight. I may still write that year-in-review post, but right now, I feel more like making some goals for 2008 than reminiscing on 2007.
It should be noted that I’m not particularly good at — or fond of — looking forward or backward. I’m very much a live-in-the-moment type of person. When I was at Future of Web Design in New York I heard Joshua Davis say, “If you’ve got one foot in the past and one foot in the future, you’re pissing on the present.” I love that line, as it perfectly sums up the way I tend to live my life. But, at the start of the new year, I’ll allow myself to look forward just a bit. Here are some things I intend to do in 2008…
Get engaged
Michelle and I have been dating for going on seven years, and I suppose it’s high time I seal the deal. I rarely talk about my personal life here, but suffice it to say that my having been married and divorced at a very young age had sort of soured me on the whole idea of being that committed — but I’ve finally come around. I plan to pop the question in te early part of this new year, and probably get married sometime in 2009.
Start working out
All my life I’ve been skinny. Really skinny. I was 115 lbs. when I graduated high school and I’ve been hovering around 150 for the past ten years. Well, it seems my age (and lifestyle?) are finally catching up with me. I’m now at 165, and all fifteen of those new pounds seem to be in my stomach. To be honest, I’m starting to look a little preggers.
I’ve never really worked out regularly before, so this will be a big change for me, but I think I have to do it. There’s a small (but perfectly adequate) fitness center in my building, so I really have no excuse. I’d also like to get myself a bike, as there are some great paths along the Seattle waterfront right by our apartment.
The hardest part of working out, for me, will probably be waking up early to do it. I’m a night owl — I stay up quite late and have a hard time waking up in the morning — but that might have to change this year.
Write some more positives articles and blog posts
In 2007, I became quite disillusioned with the whole “web standards movement.” This has very little to do with web standards themselves; I’m still very much an advocate of standards-oriented web development. Rather, what has been bothering me is overzealous standardistas who have begun to put the various mantras of web standards — validation, compliance, semantics, accessibility, etc. — ahead of what is, to me, the bigger picture: communication, design, connecting people, and empowering web users. To me, web standards are the means to this end, and the propagation of a message that, rather, web standards are the end themselves really irritated me. I don’t expect this to change in 2008. I except I’ll continue to be annoyed by this gross miscalculation of where our priorities should be, and I imagine I’ll continue to write about it.
However, lately I’m concerned that it’s the only thing I’ve been writing about. The only thing I’ve had to say publicly is on this topic which I happen to feel very negatively about. The reality — and I think most people who know me will corroborate it — is I’m a laid back, fun-loving, free-spirited, largely optimistic type of person. I actually have a lot of positive feelings about the state of our industry these days, but for whatever reason, I don’t tend to write about them. I’m concerned that my recent rants about web standards are beginning to affect the way those who don’t know me well perceive me.
To counter this, I hope to supplement these impassioned diatribes with more positive articles. I need to realize that not everything I write publicly has to send shock waves through the blogosphere; it’s okay to sometimes state the obvious, to point out the good in the web world, and to, quite frankly, be myself.
Speak more
I traveled and spoke a fair amount in 2007, and I loved it. It’s something I’d really like to do more of. There are a handful of topics I feel I can speak very effectively about at conferences and the like. Hopefully, more conference organizers will be interested in hearing my thoughts this year. I do have one speaking gig lined up (April, in Valencia, Spain), but I definitely want more — hint, hint. :)
Launch a personal project or two
I’ve got a couple personal projects (some with partners) in the works I’m pretty excited about. Hopefully 2008 will see their launch and success. Neither is something I expect to change my life much (in other words, these aren’t world-beater ideas that will let me quit my job and become rich), but hopefully they’ll be fun side projects that will prove useful and exciting to others.
That’s enough for now…
I’ve got a few more in my head that I don’t feel like sharing publicly, and I’m sure I’ll add more to the list as the year goes on. These should keep me pretty busy for the next several months, though, in addition to those things I’m always trying to do, like being a great father, boyfriend, and fried, as well as helping make Blue Flavor as awesome as it can possibly be. If 2008 proves even half as exciting as 2007 for me, I’ll be ecstatic. Hope you all have a great 2008, as well.
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001 // Pharao // 01.07.2008 // 1:42 AM
aren’t you planing to suprise Michelle or isn’t she reading your blog?
002 // Jeff Croft // 01.07.2008 // 1:44 AM
Michelle is aware that I intended to propose to her sometime in the next several months. Hopefully, I’ll still surprise her with the exact timing. :)
003 // Brian Ford // 01.07.2008 // 8:25 AM
That’s not a good reason to get engaged, Jeff.
:P
004 // mark nichols // 01.07.2008 // 8:51 AM
Congratulations on your (pending) engagement! All the best to you and Michelle.
I have enjoyed your website for the past couple of years now, and sincerely hope you continue to write about that which interests you.
005 // Brad Dielman // 01.07.2008 // 9:21 AM
Great post, Jeff. Congrats on the upcoming engagement!
Your bit about exercise really rang true with me. I have always been a skinny guy, but this last year has found me sucking in my gut to button up my jeans. I refuse to buy new pants to compensate for my growing midsection so I plan to exercise a lot more this year. Hopefully I’ll stick to it.
I also look forward to some non-controversial posts. :)
006 // Kevin Stewart // 01.07.2008 // 10:39 AM
Congratulations on your pending engagement, Jeff!! I understand your hesitation, but I suspect things will go great the second time around. You and Meesh are a great couple! :-)
007 // Hamish M // 01.07.2008 // 11:05 AM
Best of luck to you in the new yer, Jeff! And congratulations on the soon-to-be engagement.
I look forward to seeing what the future will bring. (Hopefully fame, success, money… and chocolate, you can never have enough chocolate…)
Cheers!
008 // Maura // 01.07.2008 // 8:28 PM
How exciting for you and Michelle! (Will you talk to my boyfriend?)
I really enjoyed the podcast of your typography talk. Maybe I’ll see you in person someday.
009 // Helen // 01.08.2008 // 8:24 AM
I won’t be very original in saying that I’m very excited about you and Michelle, but it’s very cool news! Congrats!
And speaking of writing positive articles, I have to say I really enjoyed reading your “negative” ones. Though I tend to believe that those are mostly “negative” articles that trigger thinking and discussion. Or course, if they are reasonable ;)
Good luck with everything! Stay in touch!
010 // Andy Gongea // 01.08.2008 // 10:25 AM
“Casa de piatra” means in Romanian something solid house. So I wish you to have a solid, colorful relation, congratulations and Casa de piatra!
011 // hj // 01.08.2008 // 11:02 AM
I think you shouldn’t worry if people perceive your posts as negative because of your disillusionment with the whole “web standards movement.”
I’m sure you have very good reasons to feel the way you do and it’s quite clear that your attitude is in fact a positive one because, as far as I can see, your articles are insightful and useful.
Those people who perceive it otherwise are wrong!
012 // Jeff Croft // 01.08.2008 // 12:07 PM
Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes. :)
Helen and hj: I won’t stop posting negative or ranty blog posts when I have something in that vein to say. I just hope to start posting also when I have more positive things to say (which I often do).
013 // Wreck // 01.08.2008 // 11:56 PM
Get Fit: Yes likewise, i’m not fat nor skinny but all this computer work has left me feeling “weak” although i’m not.. Just not as perky as i could be so that’s on my list.
Get Engaged: Done that one 18 months ago, however the next big step feels huge and i’ve been putting off any firm steps towards the next step so i too have to act instead of talk about that one.
Launch Projects: Me too, i’m doing alot of learning by reading books by Dustin and others so i want to develop “personal” projects and the same time make them available free for everyone.
Anyhow, i hope you do well with your similar goals Jeff. Also if you haven’t proposed yet.. It was one of the most nervous days of my life.
014 // Fouad Masoud // 01.09.2008 // 2:53 AM
Looks like you have a busy year coming ahead of you. wish you all the best.
015 // MAX // 06.28.2008 // 3:40 PM
“If you’ve got one foot in the past and one foot in the future, you’re pissing on the present.”
The best word, i heard last time ;)
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