Focus on realistic and measurable goals. Try breaking goals down into manageable and achievable steps.

Tell someone about your resolutions. Sharing your resolutions with others and writing each one down gives you a constant reminder to help stay on track.

Remember setbacks can be opportunities. Be realistic and anticipate obstacles in accomplishing your resolutions. Don’t forget to persevere and start again when necessary. You can achieve new behaviors over the course of the year.

Expect success. Create a clear picture in your mind of what accomplishing the resolution will look like.

I don’t think resolutions are dumb, nor do I think you make resolutions to break them.

I spent this morning thinking of my goals (focusing on marriage, being more prayerful, exercising my body & brain) and objectives (plan a weekly date night, pray every day, sign up for a race every quarter, read two books a month). That’s not a complete list, but a few examples. I had to pare down my complete list because it looked a bit overwhelming. Resolutions should be realistic, measurable, and achievable.

I’ve been productive gearing myself up for success. I signed up for an easy race on Superbowl Sunday. I applied for the NYC marathon. I emailed two volunteer opportunities (Meals on Wheels and Friends of the Elderly); we’ll see who gets back to me first.

2010 was an epic year. I got married. I turned 35. The Giants won the World Series. I hung out in a communist country. I have even higher hopes for 2011. Our spring honeymoon in Italy is going to be incredible. More mini-moons before and after the honeymoon. Getting back into volunteering. Running again. We’re prequalified for a second home and I told my real estate agent to be on the lookout.

I’m getting very excited.

Not sure if I agree with this since I feel so much better with a bloody mary when I’m hungover. But some advice for all of you who plan on drinking heavily tonight.

To Heal Hangover, Skip the ‘Hair of the Dog,’ and Hit the Gym…

By Michelle Fay Cortez

Dec. 31 (Bloomberg) — New Year’s revelers needing a hangover remedy should ignore the conventional wisdom that they drink coffee or more alcohol, and head to the gym instead.

The body gets rid of alcohol and its toxic by-products four ways: breathing, via the liver or kidney and from sweating, said Aaron Michelfelder, a family physician from Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Illinois. Exercise speeds breathing, increases sweat, and moves alcohol-laden blood to the liver and kidneys more quickly.

“That’s why you should stay hydrated as well,” Michelfelder said in a telephone interview. “It takes a lot of water to process alcohol in your body.”

Drinking plenty of water, especially between every glass of wine, whiskey or beer, has another benefit — it can reduce the amount of alcohol consumed, he said.

Michelfelder has a list of recommendations that New Year’s Eve partygoers should heed tonight to help the body grapple with the tsunami of alcohol ahead. The first is, avoid a hangover altogether, he said.

“A hangover is brain damage,” he said. “Some of it is going to heal, and some will be permanent. Prevention is the best medicine, particularly with hangovers.”

The most important is to drink moderately and slowly, at most five drinks for men and three for women over a three-hour period. Other measures include taking an anti-inflammatory pill such as ibuprofen and eating before any drinking occurs. The medicine may help avoid nerve damage from the alcohol, while the food may slow the absorption of alcohol. B vitamins may also help, he said.

Coffee Doesn’t Work

Michelfelder’s most surprising advice involves what to do after the hangover has set in. Coffee is unlikely to ease the nausea, dizziness, cotton candy head and general malaise that stems from over-imbibing, though it may lift some symptoms of depression that can set in after the warm and pleasant effects of the alcohol wear off, he said.

“Hair of the dog,” the familiar standby of getting down just one more drink in order to stymie the ill-effects of a hangover, is particularly unhelpful, Michelfelder said. It will only make you feel worse, he said.

“A hangover is similar to taking a sledgehammer and hitting your head,” he said. “Do what you need to do not get a hangover. It’s unpleasant and it’s hard on your body.”

I try to live my life as a grateful person. I’m someone who asks for your boss’s name if you give me great customer service, then I follow-up with a thoughtful email. It’s simply good karma.

I feel like I do the same service with my blog. I, out of the goodness of my heart, blog about my experiences. Places to patronize. Places to avoid. Tips on saving money. I don’t expect people to email me and say, “I love you. I totally follow all of your advice.” But I would appreciate it, if you do follow my posts, to let me know at some point. Or at least, acknowledge that you read my friggin blog!

I have friends who pretend like they don’t even know that I blog. Ummm, 100+ unique visitors read my blog on a daily basis. If you’re one of my good friends, I kinda have a suspicion that you at least know.

Here’s what gets me. I know (as in–I have no doubt) that several of my friends read my blog religiously, but will not acknowledge that they read it. Hmmm, you visit a restaurant in NYC that you couldn’t possibly have known about unless I blogged about it. You carry an obscure credit card that I have been raving about for years. You tweet about one of my favorite bloggers as one of your favorites–again, an obscure website that I discovered through my network. Now all of these examples do not describe one person, but I have personally asked some of these people, “That was in my blog. Did you get that from my blog?” They shake their head vigorously. Of course not! Then they look away.

If you really got all these innovative ideas/advice on your own, wouldn’t you then say to me, “That was in your blog? Seriously? What’s your blog address, I need to bookmark it!” Nope, no one has said that. And yet, I see my recommended websites bookmarked on their iPads or tweeted.

I swear to God, if I see one of you coming out of my recommended dry cleaner/alteration place which is a hole in the wall in the Inner Richmond, I will call serious bullshit.

We had a post-Christmas get-together with my high school friends last night at Cristina’s palatial new home in Walnut Creek. We told her we needed GPS to find our way inside her house.

It was so much fun that we didn’t get home until 1am. And I still wanted to stick around! Dean had to pry me away.

Notice all the kiddies? Look at Dean, feeding one of Daniel’s twins. You can’t tell from the picture, but baby Michael is holding on to Dean’s pinky! A-friggin-dorable! Or is it baby Aaron? I can’t tell them apart even though they’re fraternal. Oh well!

It was an amazing feast. Cristina and Allan keep getting better and better with each meal they prepare. So friggin yummy!

Conrado took a lot more pictures so hopefully I can get a hold of those and post more.

This is a major shout out to my friend Butch Haze (I doubt he reads my blog, but if so…Hey Buddy!)

Butch is a charismatic visionary whose far-reaching network makes my 1000+ friends on Facebook look puny. He’s truly a mover and shaker in the San Francisco Bay Area. I took a look at his website which currently features a video clip of his non-profit Dig Deep. Butch and his network raised $30,000 in two weeks to pretty much buy out all the toys and goodies at Target and Sports Authority for the Salvation Army.

I am beyond impressed.  Take a look at the video clip here.

I’m back after a very warm Christmas vacation in Scottsdale. I’ve spent the majority of the holidays volleying back and forth between my parents’ house and other relatives’ homes that they all start to blend together. I can’t tell one Christmas from an Easter from a Thanksgiving. Which is why going to the in-laws this year was so special. It was different and meaningful. I had a blast hanging out with Dean’s whole family. One thing that I really like about their holidays is that they all sit down at a specified time together. That doesn’t happen in a Filipino family (at least ours) because people come whenever they damn well please. I hate it, but it’s just not going to change. Filipinos are known for being late so if dinner starts at 3pm, it really doesn’t get going until 3-4 hours later.

We had such a great time touring Arizona State University, watching all the football games at a sports bar on Sunday, and playing games. Who knew board games could be so much fun! We must’ve played at least ten rounds of Sorry. I had so much fun, I didn’t get a chance to take any pictures. I don’t think many pictures were taken at all–quite the opposite of my family (typical Asians).

My dad picked us up from the fabulously small, easy, and convenient Oakland airport. I got a big big hoot hearing that Conrado went to my parents’ place on Christmas. Simply knocked on the door and helped himself to some food with the fam. Hilarious! Gotta love that guy.

Hooray for the lame duck Congress passing the tax bill…which means more money in our pockets. Let’s go spend it! Just kidding. Don’t be dumb.

Here’s a tax cut calculator that will tell you how much more money you get in your paychecks.

Last set of pictures – my favorite.

1. Sir Francis Drake Hotel

2. My favorite Christmas tree–pretty and billowy–at a salon on Sutter

3. Fairmont Hotel

4. Candyland House at the Fairmont

5. Grace Cathedral from the Nob Hill Park

6. Store front of Candy Darling on Sutter

I’m a hot chocolate fiend. During the dot-com days, I started my day with a grande hot chocolate and a chocolate croissant from Starbucks. Yeah, not so much anymore. But as a treat for the holidays, I went and got myself a Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate this morning. Since I don’t drink coffee, I drink tea constantly, but a hot cocoa makes me super happy!

SFGate.com featured where to find the best hot chocolate in the Bay Area. Looks like Oaktown’s the place! The Chronicle recommends the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate at the Bittersweet Cafe on College Avenue. Sounds scrumptious!