Goals and Resolution for 2011

I realized today that I have been hesitant to record my goals and resolutions for this year because once I write them down, I will have to start working on them. So, as of this moment going forward, here are my goals and resolution for this year:

• Walk 500 miles. (8.2 down, 491.7 to go)
• Last year, I made an effort to reserve only one night a week on which I would eat crap for dinner. This year, I resolve to, instead of once per week, only eat crap AFTER I have walked 25 miles. After I eat crap, the count starts back at 1. 
• Get onto Alison (my awesome trainer's) Success Stories board.
• Short term goals continued over from last year:
• Continue seeking out bee people. This was the most important one last year, and is still the most important this year. I've found one or two, but you can never have enough. 
• Finish Timmy and start book.
• Get new tattoo. 
• Learn a song on the banjo and post a video to YouTube.
• Toilet train the cats. (I don't kid myself. I realize I have very little control over this one.)
• Add something new to the long term goals list.  http://deemotivation.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-years-resolutions.html

And finally, I decided that my main resolution this year is that no matter how high the cliff, this year I will hurl myself off of it with complete abandon. I might crash and burn or I might learn to fly, but either option is better than clinging to the same cliff for 46 years and being sad cause nothing ever changes.

New Years Goals 2009 Revisited

So, last year I made a list of long and short term goals.  I posted them on my web site not just for my benefit, but also in an effort to encourage my readers to make realistic long term goals. So, let's take a look and see how I did:

• Seek out more bee people. Find the short fat awkward people who don't fit in and dance with them. I know they are out there.  Mission accomplished. I think I need to make this a goal every year.
  
• Make a little birdhouse in my soul. Continue with this web site and blog. I'm not sure anyone is reading anymore (I haven't gotten much feedback to the blog) but if maybe someday, one person stumbles across it and finds some solace, some sanctuary here, then I'll consider this resolution a success. In fact, as long as I keep the blog up I will.  Mission accomplished. I haven't gained a lot of readers, but the ones I know about mean so much to me and make everything worth while.
• Believe that life can change and I'm not stuck in vain! This is a tough one for me, especially as I get older and have to face my future with some sense of realism, but without a defeatist attitude. I need to remind myself that I'm too old to be a rock star, but still young enough to maybe play a song on YouTube or maybe even do a coffee house someday.  Mission accomplished. I haven't done anything with music this year, but I have made other changes in my life. Done 5ks, taken charge of other things in my life that were wrong. It's getting better all the time.
• Make every day the best day ever! Make plans, and even though sometimes things don't always go as planned, remember to make the best of it either way.  I didn't always succeed on this one. Working on my attitude is still something that I need to do.
• Continue making short term goals, and updating them as I cross things off. My current list is:
  
  • Make crabs for the ELC. Done
    
  • Make interactive map of how the FL land mass has changed for the ELC. Done
  • Toilet train the cats. Done (well, for Maggie, anyway, the rest are on their way)
  • Finish Timmy and start book. Not done. I need to make more time for creativity in 2011.
  • Get new tattoo. Not done. Not sure why I haven't done this yet, I really wanted to. I think this one relates to still not taking enough time for me.
  • Get promotional material (brochures and magnets) for David's business printed and distributed. Done. Not just printed material, we also have t-shirts for sale for his business now.
  • Learn a song on the banjo and post a video to YouTube. Not done. As with Timmy, the book, and my tattoo, I seem to have a harder time accomplishing the goals that are solely for my benefit. Got to work on this one in 2011.
  
  
• Continue making long term goals and do all that I can to work towards them. Done.  I haven't crossed anything off this list, but I've worked really hard at the gym this year, which is a major step to being able to physically accomplish some of my more physical long term goals, so I am very proud of that achievement.
  My current long term goals are:
• Appalachian Trail with Joy, Christmas 2010 (at least the part around north GA-North Carolina)
• Summit Kearsage. It's kicked my butt twice so far, I need to show it who's boss.
• See a cock-of-the-rock in its native habitat.
• Sing karaoke. Unashamed, despite having been begged never to go near a microphone again ever (I mean that literally -- my ex posted an MP3 on the internet when we had a band, and someone clicked the link to listen to it and immediately called me, all the way from England, to beg me never to go near a microphone again, ever.)
  
• Touch Marty Marquis' hair.
  
• When I was a kid I saw a tv show about a museum in Japan that had a big animatronics collection. I'd really like to find and visit that museum.
  
• Hike down the Grand Canyon.
  
• Get the rest of the stamps for my National Park Passport.
  
• Write a book.
  
• Sell another photo or other piece of my own artwork (and go to the museum somewhere in Utah that has the first photo that I sold.)
  
• See a Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko in its natural habitat (Madagascar)
  

Next post: Goals for 2010

(Belated) Friday Goals

My goals for this weekend were:

• Go kayaking -- We made it closer this time. We actually made it all the way to the river. Unfortunately there were very strong winds and a small craft advisory. I am neither a strong kayaker nor swimmer and we decided against attempting to go out. Once again, we will reschedule this trip.
• Work on the crabs -- I spent a lot of time on this. It's going well.

It wasn't particularly a goal, but I did get David to sign up at the gym with me. Back home I had a gym buddy (hi, Jeff!) and it really makes a difference having someone to drag me out and having someone who I am responsible for dragging out as well. Tomorrow is supposed to be our first day. I shaved my legs (so I can wear shorts) and charged my iPod, so I am already for it!

Friday Goals

Well, due to the weather, I totally lamed out last weekend. We did go bowling in place of the kayak trip. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't nearly as exciting as kayaking would have been. But onward and upward to this weekend. My goals for this long weekend:

• Birding Turkey Creek. Check out the Events page for details. I hope people show up! HFC David is out of town this weekend.
• Emptying the entertainment center, pulling it out, and fixing the back so the cats can't get behind the TV anymore. I just don't think it's safe for Maggie to be back there, and she'd killed the power to the TV twice now.
• Find new recipe for next week's Taste of Tuesday. I have pretty much posted everything I know how to make. Given that I've only been posting recipes for about 6 weeks, that is pretty sad!
• Play with Hiawasee mom and dad on Monday!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Make your own goals! And let me know if you are going to join me on Saturday.

Friday Goals

Wow, I can't believe it's Friday already. This week has flown. Busy week, and even busier weekend. Oh well, it keeps me off the couch! Goals for the weekend:

• Attend Audubon meeting
• Do the Cocoa Bird Count
• Wrap and pack all gifts
• Finish holiday cards, get them ready for mailing
• Go on walk to see holiday lights in Viera (this is a DeeMotivation event, RSVP if you want to join us!)

What are your non-couch goals for the weekend? Please share!

Friday Goals

Well, it's Friday again. Time to set some goals for the weekend. Unfortunately, my last set of Friday goals were derailed by illness, so my goals for this weekend are pretty similar:

• Paint Timmy (I finished his paper mache tonight, and put out the call for rebar on Freecycle)
• Go the Cocoa Village Arts and Crafts show. RSVP to me if you plan to come along!
• If Timmy is dry and has legs and shoes, take him out to be photographed for the annual holiday card. If he does not have legs and shoes, stay home and rectify the situation as time is getting short!
• -Alt--If it doesn't look like Timmy will be complete, see if I can safely use Rudolph one last year

So tell me -- what are your goals for the weekend? Watching TV doesn't count!