There were a lot of things that I had planned to do in 2011, but most of them never happened. There was too much to do and it seemed that there was simply not enough time. I guess there never is enough time in our lives to do all the things that we want to do.

But, the funny thing is that when I look back at 2011, I can’t help but wonder: Did I do the best in the time that was available to me?

The answer is a resounding no. I might have been short of time, but there was definitely enough time to do more than I actually did. I hope that doesn’t happen in 2012.

One thing that most of us do on New Year’s Eve is make resolutions for the next year. Even though, many of my friends have given up making resolutions, thinking of them as an exercise in futility, I am not giving up.

So, here is my list of resolutions for 2012:

1. Read more. In 2011, I had set myself the target of reading at least 130 books in the year, but I could not do it. Since reading is something I enjoy, and is also important if one wants to write better, I am going to continue with this resolution. I am going to try and read at least 130 books this year.

2. Write more. Again, in 2011 I had set myself a target of writing for one hour every day. Of course, I failed. This year I want to continue writing more, and, therefore, I have set myself a target of writing at least 1,500 words every day.

3. Exercise. Over the years I have been working out regularly, so working out never featured in my list of resolutions. In 2011, however, I found that I was finding excuses to avoid working out. Therefore, I have decided to add it to my list of resolutions for 2012. I am going to try and take time out for exercising at least three times a week.

4. Balancing the real-virtual life. With social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook becoming an important part of our lives, the line between the real world and the virtual world begins to blur. The solution, I believe, does not lie in the complete shunning of either one, but in balancing the two. In 2012, I will try to make a deliberate effort to ensure that my online life does not affect my real life, and vice versa.

5. Killing procrastination. Procrastination is one of my biggest sins, and in 2012, I am going to kill it once and for all. This one I think is going to be a hard one to nail, but I think it is doable.

I guess this is about it. There are a few other minor resolutions that I don’t want to bore you with. What have you resolved for 2012?

Oh, and before I end this post, here is me wishing you a Very Happy 2012!

Diwali, or the festival of lights, is celebrated all across India with great fervour and enthusiasm. India is a country with great diversity. There are many religions, many cultures, many languages and many regions. Yet, there is a unifying thread that runs across the nation and binds it together.

Festivals like Diwali add strength to this thread. It is one of the very few festivals that is celebrated all over the country regardless of caste, culture, creed or religion. Sweets are exchanged among people and lamps are lit up to chase the darkness away, and spread light.

To complete the festivities, firecrackers are burst late into the night. For children, firecrackers are the most important part of Diwali, with the sweets coming in a close second.

This year Diwali falls on Tuesday, October 28 (the day of writing this post).

I wish everyone a very happy and a safe Diwali.