Happy New Year to everyone and I wish you all a happy and fulfilling 2010. 
Breaking into a new year always gives many people hope that the coming year will be better than the last, and that their lives will change for the better. This is why many people make new year’s resolutions–a chance to change things that are unwanted; to do things differently; to start afresh. Many resolutions are things that we know we should have been doing all along but never quite got around to starting, and new year seems such an obvious starting point.
The only problem is there is usually a reason why we didn’t do it earlier, and so many resolutions are doomed to failure–often barely days into the new year.
I’ve done all the usual resolutions in the past–losing weight, quitting smoking (I actually ended up doing it last May), cutting down on the booze, getting fit etc. and none of them has ever lasted beyond January. This year my resolution was simply to be more diligent with this blog and ensure I post at least once per week. Of course, as this is the 9th already I guess you could say I fell before I left the gate, but considering the new year’s holiday and everything that accompanies it, I think I am allowed some slack. So let’s hope from here on in I can keep to the resolution (please don’t write to me if I mess it up).
If you don’t have a resolution already (maybe you are a healthy person who doesn’t smoke or drink and already exercises like a whippet (or a fat alcoholic who doesn’t give a shit)) then maybe you could start your new year off with the resolve to learn a language. While the smell of change is in the air and the promise of new beginnings, there is possibly no better time to begin the journey of learning a new language. It is a sure fire way of changing your life, and may even send it in an entirely new direction (for example you may end up writing a language blog in 30 ° C heat instead of 6 feet of snow 
). You certainly have nothing to lose learning a language other than possibly about half an hour of your time per day, but have an enormous amount to gain.
Of course there is the inevitable chance that you will lose interest after about 2 weeks and forget all about it, but that is a chance you take whenever you start something new. The good thing about new year is that you have the excited exuberance of someone who sees a brand new start and a brand new you, and also of course you are certain to remember the day you started, and this if anything might guiltily persuade you to last beyond a week.
If you are looking for good reasons why you might want to learn a language then please visit my website at lingualogue.com/second-language-benefits
So what are you waiting for? Just grab that proverbial bull by its sharp ends, pick a language and learn it. It really is as simple as that.
