This post is a detour from my regular marketing posts….. please disregard if you are not interested in the personal randomness.
Over the weekend I was reflecting on last year and thinking about this year and what I want to accomplish. There are things personally and professionally that I want to do this year, and by writing them here, and stating them publicly I’m hoping to increase my accountability.
What I want from you: Help keep me accountable – ask questions and call me out when I’m slacking. And THANK-YOU in advance for reading my blog and taking the time to care about my goals.
Here are my 10 goals for 2010:
1) Learn how to play guitar
1) Learn how to play guitarI bought a guitar a few years ago and never really learned to do much with it. To help me stay focused I signed up for lessons already (had my first one last night). Maybe by the end of the year I’ll post a video of me playing something (probably not). On this note I signed up for lessons last week and have my second lesson on Friday. Yay!
2) Take a Painting Class
I’m not particularly artistic, but I have always wanted to try to paint. So my goal for this year is to take a painting class. I will definitely post a picture of something that I paint, although it might totally suck and embarrass me. I’ll do it anyways.
3) Volunteer More
I want to increase my volunteer efforts with local organizations this year. Last year I was pretty busy and didn’t dedicate what I would have liked to in terms of giving back. My goal this year is to find 2 local organizations that I am passionate about and really get involved and help them grow. If you have any suggestions please let me know.
4) Post reviews of 26 Books
So I love to read, and I read a lot of books. I have a lot of books on my shelves at home. This year I want to read at least one book every other week (so 26 for the year) and post reviews of each of them on my site. Keep me accountable for this! If you don’t see reviews leave a comment! I’ll write the first one this weekend.
5) Get in Shape
OK, so this is everyone’s goal (and explains why my gym is so crowded and diet food is all on sale). A few years ago I ran a half marathon. I didn’t really train right and hurt my knee, so I don’t know if that is in the cards again. This year I want to really commit to fitness and creating a more active lifestyle. I joined a hiking meetup group and a mountain biking meetup group to get things off on the right foot. I also feel better on days that I work out (no surprise there), so the benefits are huge.
6) Take Surfing Lessons
So I’ve always wanted to surf. I even looked up surfing schools a few times. This year I will actually take a trip somewhere and take surfing lessons. Anyone know any good locations?
7) Post on my Blog Weekly
OK, so this is probably another typical resolution, and I’m clearly off to a bad start since it is already mid Jan and this is my first post. BUT, starting NOW I will post at least weekly. That is right. At least once a week. I did it. I committed to something specific. Now I have to do it.
8) Try a Video Podcast
Those of you who know me in real life know that I am very opinionated and that I love to talk. So, I figure it is worth a try to bring this to life online with a video podcast. I have a camera, so there really are no barriers. My goal is to start this in Feb and to post regular videos as a test for a few months.
9) Do a Detox or Cleanse
OK, so I turned 30 this year (yeah, I said it). I have definitely put my body through a lot over the years. At New Years my good friend Jeremy Wright was telling me about the benefits of the Lemonade Cleanse that he did. I figure that now is as good of a time as any to reset my body and make sure that I am healthy this year. (I won’t do anything crazy).
10) Make Small Decisions Faster
I read a blog post from Seth Godin a long while back about how we spend a ton of time agonizing over decisions that don’t really matter. For example, if you spend 3 hours comparing email newsletter solutions to save $5/month are you really ahead? I spent months looking at different offices and office solutions before I finally made a choice. The differences between the different offices were really marginal at the end of the day, but I spent a lot of time researching, looking at different options, talking to people etc. My goal is to make the small decisions faster.
OK, so I hope that this wasn’t boring or off-target for my readers. I usually focus on marketing, but figured that a slight detour would be acceptable as we all try to make the most of this upcoming year.
Do you have any resolutions or goals?
Krista-
Yay for you! I love seeing peoples goals and watching them kick ass all year long. I make my big one on my birthday every year, but I find that publishing that list online has been a huge asset to my business and my goals.
Keep up the awesome work… and I will watch these as we have many of the same goals… I love the book review one and the fitness one. If it ever stops raining in LA I need to run around the Silverlake Reservoir one of these days!
You go girl. I’m with you on the regular blog posting…I’m doing 5 days a week, taking the weekend off. So far so good. Fitness…yes, I have aspirations of trying the PX90 or whatever. Guitar not so much, but cello yes. Good luck on the surfing! I hear the Ohio is lovely this time of year..(:
Hi Krista,
It is great that you set specific, varied goals for 2010, that you are willing to post them, and that you are asking your friends and colleagues to hold you accountable. I, like a lot of the people who are lucky enough to know you, think that you rock on a lot of different levels, so it’s not surprising learning to play guitar is your #1 goal and I expect you to achieve most of these goals.
I’m looking forward to following your progress on the blog and doing what I can to help you get these done!
Now I guess I have to come up with some goals for myself too, otherwise I’ll feel like a slacker.
Congrats on the list and enjoy your guitar lessons. I start a drawing class through the Art Academy next week and painting is the plan for next quarter, you should sign up. Don’t fight that inner abstract artist any longer, you know it’s in there, trying to get out…
I will try to stay on you. It’s the least I can do.
@Caroline – Thank-You! It is always helpful to take time and reflect and think about what you actually want to accomplish. I saw your goals for this year and I love the “Buy No New Clothes” one. I don’t think I’m ready for that yet…. Maybe next year. Good for you!
@Monika – We need to come up with some fitnessy stuff to do together! You have better success rates when you do stuff with friends. Maybe start a “Walking Wednesdays” night where we go for long walks in new neighborhoods every Wednesday… thoughts?
@Rob – Thanks for the encouragement – you are such an awesome and supportive friend. I will definitely keep you posted and let me know if you come up with anything.
@Jim – I might take you up on the painting thing. Although you can’t make fun of my lack of talent 🙂
I like #10.
I think I will apply it today at lunchtime for deciding where to go.
😀
Hey there,
Love that you are brave enough to publish your not resolutions. The big surprise to me was surfing – I had no idea. Will you wear a helmet and life Jacket? Maybe you meant the other kind of surfing??. I think # one should have been call my mother every day so she does not have to check out your various on-line activities to find out what you’re doing :). I want first dibs on that painting.
Hey,
Cool goals. I’m in the process of making mine. I’m taking mine a step further. I’m time-bounding them!
Here are three cool exercise a friend introduced to me. I think the Wheel is the coolest.
Wheel:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-bishop/transformation-keys-how-t_b_149145.html
Imagination:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-bishop/how-to-prepare-for-your-b_b_150884.html
Visualization:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-bishop/step-3-to-your-best-year_b_155019.html
Here’s some quotes connected with task of pursuing our aspirations. May they be of some encouragement.
“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never tasted victory or defeat.”
Theodore Roosevelt
“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”
George Bernard Shaw
and somewhat more whimsically,
“When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit-
It’s when things go wrong that you must not quit.”
~ Unknown
More concretely, if I may make a suggestion in terms of aspiration number 3, in terms of organizations locally who could benefit greatly from your abilities, media bridges (at mediabriges.org) is a fantastic resource whose value becomes only more significant in the light of the difficulties increasingly facing the traditional outlets of media and discussion in this country. They provide free media production classes to any individual or group, in addition to access to equipment and facilities for production. Given your intimate involvement with media and communication you could possibly really connect with the work done through them.
Additionally,The Drop Inn Center does wonderful work with the homeless population, and is also a node from which to connect with other great non-profit charities. DropInn.org is their website.
And as suffering is not exclusively the lot of human beings, spca cincinnati is yet another place deserving of helpful effort: spcacincinnati.org
Finally, on the west side you may find an opportunity to merge number three with number five. The Mobo Bicycle Cooperative is working to make Cincinnati more bicycle friendly, a shift that is globally positive. Their site is mobobicyclecoop.org
That of course merely scratches the surface, and indeed this comment comes a month from the year’s outset so you may already be proceeding along your own lines. Nevertheless, i hope these suggestions are helpful.
Hi,
I just checked out your blog and was wondering if number 3 (volunteering) is still one of the things you want to work on. I started a workshop idea today called Hope through the Storm. I’m putting together a free informative workshop on how to get through a divorce. I have a CPA/financial planner who deals with divorce,a therapist,a wellness coach and attorney all who want to help people gain knowledge.Your asking how you fit in? Was wondering what your marketing advice would be?
Thanks