This has been a very busy year for me. I did a lot. I experienced a lot of new things. Met a lot of new people. I tried to make a fresh start in many areas of my life. But in the end, I’m pretty much back where I started. Same life, new year. Life is a continuous cycle of the same experiences dressed up with new circumstances and new players.

I started the year off unemployed. On January 26, I started working at AOL. It was the start of a great 8-month run. I was making a bunch of money and finding new ways to spend it. I got healthy. I bought an exercise bike and started using it everyday, along with my Bowflex. I signed up for tennis lessons, like I do every spring, summer and fall. And I lost a lot of weight on Atkins.

Because I felt better about myself, I felt better about meeting new people. I got involved with Frontline, doing something I was interested in—hoping to meet other people who were interested in the same things I was. I dove into meeting local folks online through sites like Friendster and MySpace. I had more dates this summer than I’ve had my entire life. I traveled to San Diego to be around thousands of people who shared one of my interests. I spent a week at a tennis tournament to be around people who shared one of my other interests. I volunteered for a political campaign to be around people who shared my political beliefs. I joined a kickball team and spent the fall surrounded by people who weren’t like me at all—but who appealed to me in a morbid “missed out in college” kind of way.

But where are they now? I don’t hang out with any of the MySpace folks. Those were short-term friendships. I won’t be rejoining my kickball team in the spring. The Young Republicans are all pretty boring. Tennis is still a go, and I look forward to every new class, because of the new people. But after all my effort this year, it seems like I’ve come up short.

That’s where the new year comes in. I’m starting it off the same way I started this year off—unemployed, with a new job offering me new possibilities. It is unquestionably a second chance. But I have a whole previous year to learn from and compare to, as I live out the new one. I won’t make the same mistakes. I’ll be committed to change—both my lifestyle and my strategy for meeting new people. I’ll apply what I’ve learned. I’ll be scared by the possibilities, rather than optimistic. I’ve stared down the barrel of a gun for many years now, but this year I’m actually scared. And fear is a great motivator.

You can’t beat a McDonald’s double-cheeseburger for $1.05. You just can’t.

Coincidently, freedom costs the exact same amount. …Ten points, if you get that reference.

I just came back from a whirlwind extravaganza shopping spree at ROSS. I spent $150 on nice, boring work clothes for my new job. Nextel will be the first place where I can’t wear jeans to work. I have to go with khakis and dress shirts (aka “business casual”) for my attire. I don’t necessarily mind. I already have a few button-up shirts and black pants. Plus, I have shoes for any color scheme (i.e., black and brown). But I had to get some blue pants and brown pants for variety—and so I won’t seem so gothic and scary to my co-workers. I went out of my way to find blue and brown shirts to go with the pants. At some point, I’ll have to get a dressy leather jacket to finish off the look. Right now, I’m kinda stuck wearing my black varsity jacket. Anyway, I’m good as far as clothes go now—and I saved a lot of money by shopping at ROSS. Dress for less!

There’s this Japanese book called “Battle Royal,” which I’ve heard about for a couple years now. It was released as a Manga series and a movie, in addition to the book. Well, I picked up the first installment of the Manga series and read it last night. It was very disturbing. It was like “Lord of the Flies” times a hundred. The story is about a class of 9th graders forced by their government to participate in a game show called The Program. The point of this game show is to be the last survivor. These kids are forced to kill one another in order to survive. The reactions and psychology of the characters are very realistic, and it soon becomes too distasteful to continue reading. It’s interesting to see how friends turn on each other and trick one another in order to stay alive. But the way the Manga depicts the graphic violence is just too much. I think I’d rather read “Lord of the Flies” again and imagine the violence taking place, rather than have it presented to me in its maximum visualization. I admit, “Battle Royal” is pretty intense—and in that sense, an “important” piece of literature. But I certainly can’t say that “Battle Royal” is good.

On a more pleasant note, I just finished downloading the anime movie Appleseed, which has only been available in Japan. Check out this trailer and drool.

I sold my Xbox on eBay two nights ago. It sold almost instantly. I guess I should have asked for more—but since you can get a brand new one for $150, I couldn’t imagine someone spending that much for a used one. I also sold my old Game Boy Advance (my Game Boy Advance SP will probably sell, as well). This will be the first time in my adolescent/adult life that I have not owned a game system of any kind. My family has always had a game system, starting with the Atari 400. The first one I owned myself was the N64. After that, the Sega Dreamcast, PS2, and Xbox. I never really used my Game Boys.

It feels good to eliminate a device I’ve had to “maintain” with new content. I’ve been eliminating a lot of “devices” from my life that cost money to maintain. During my unemployment, I discovered the wonderful world of torrent downloading. I have my entire past & present comic collection on disc. I have about all the music I could ever want to listen to. I’ve been backing up my entire DVD collection on DVD-R and selling the originals on eBay. I don’t buy DVDs anymore. No comics, no music, no movies, no games. Six months of this will be salvation for my finances.

I’ve already worked out a deal to get 12 free private tennis lessons this spring and summer (in exchange for photographing a wedding). I don’t plan to attend any rock shows. I don’t plan to see any movies in the theater. Or renew any of my magazine subscriptions. Or play any online games on my PC. Or buy any new electronic gadgets. Or meet people on MySpace. Or try any new sport. Or start any new hobby that requires upfront costs.

I will be able to do much of what I’ve been doing, but in a lean, cost-free way.

My shelves will become less and less full, until they cease to be of use. All of my media will reside on disc. My computer will quite literally become my one source of media entertainment—TV, movies, music, games, books, periodicals, comics. Hard copy is quickly becoming extinct from my life.

And the great thing is that once I’ve paid off my debt, I won’t even want to go back to the way things were. Spending to me is an addiction. And I simply have to defeat the addiction through whatever means necessary before anything will ever change. Right now I have the reason, motivation, and means to do it. It’s a six-month countdown to financial freedom. And I’m Tony Robbins. So, let’s go.

Here’s my plan for the next 6 months…

• Work hard at Nextel (make lots of money)
• Pay off credit card debt
• Six-month commitment to Frontline Athletics (kickball, tennis)
• Sell DVDs, CDs, books, comics, video games on eBay
• Diet (Atkins) and exercise (Bowflex, bike)
• Tennis lessons
• Write/draw first issue of sci-fi Manga series
• Have issue printed for distribution this summer
• Plan trip to San Diego Comic-Con (and others, if necessary)
• No social life (spending)
• No dates

My number one priority for the first half of this year is to devote nearly my entire earnings at Nextel towards paying off my debt. I won’t even take classes at University of Phoenix Online, which I was planning on (getting a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice). My life will be work, work, work—and in my spare time, I’ll create my comic and play some sports—both of which won’t cost me any money.

The next 6 months will be “heads down” working for me. I’ve let my financial debt linger for too long. It’s time to devote my life to eliminating it.

I had my interview with Nextel on Monday. It went well. They called me back for a second interview on Tuesday, and offered me the job on Wednesday morning. I start work on January 3—one and a half weeks from now.

I have just enough time to complete my eBay auctions, watch a bunch of DVDs, and run a bunch of errands.

Man, I’m tired.

I’ve been staying up ‘til 4 AM every night. And sleeping five hours. And getting up. And doing other stuff. Yeah, that’s right. Other stuff.

I got to hang out with Conrad on Tuesday night, Jeff on Wednesday afternoon, and Robby, Lissy & Jason on Wednesday night.

I’m sitting here now, catching up on a bunch of TV shows on my computer. My two favorite shows are “Lost” and “Veronica Mars.” I also rented the entire “Neon Genesis Evengelion” series—which is consistently ranked the top Anime series ever.

I find things infinitely funnier at 4 AM, than at normal times of the day. Case in point: The Miami Guns episode, which I thought was so hilarious before, isn’t really all that.

I quit the video team at McLean Bible Church. If I continue to be involved with MBC, it will probably be with the athletics ministry. Number one on my list is forming a Frontline kickball team for the spring season. Then tennis. Oh, yes. Tennis.

I bought some Manga today. I guess that constitutes buying a comic book. So much for my streak. It’s good Manga, though.

I’m going to sleep now.