When I was a kid, my brothers and I made a huge deal out of making our annual lists of resolutions. We’d work on them almost more fervently than we did our Christmas lists for Santa. Thinking back on those days, it’s a bit ridiculous, actually. I remember once signing my list, sealing it in an envelope – with a real wax seal – and then hiding it on the back of a desk drawer to keep my brothers from finding it.
These lists were secretive, powerful, and some of the most important documents we ever wrote. Ironically, though, they were so secretive that we never managed to re-read them until New Year’s Eve the next year … only to find out we’d failed in just about every goal we set out to achieve.
This year, though, will be different. My list will be public, available, and I expect everyone to hold me accountable to it.
So here it is, without any further adieu. My list of resolutions for the year 2010:
- I will write a book.
Be it fiction or non-fiction, the goal is merely to write a consistent, congruent story of no less than 65,000 words. I will have the topic set by the end of January and background research done by mid-March. An early draft will be completed no later than the beginning of September with the final copy finished in advance of NaNoWriMo in November. - I will lose weight.
I know, everyone has this on their list. My goal is 25 pounds by the end of the year, and I’ll keep track of my progress monthly (2 pounds per month should be achievable). - I will earn the BSA Year of Celebration award.
This is a task I think any and all Scouts and Scouters should have on their list. I’ve already started and I’m well on my way to finishing more than half of the award by summer camp. In fact, that is the metric I’ll use to gauge progress – I want to be 60% finished before summer camp in July. - I will double Jumping Duck Media’s client list and portfolio.
At the moment, I have 5 active clients and 5 inactive ones. My goal by the end of 2010 will be to have 12 active clients and no more than 8 on the back-burner (inactive in this case means we’re waiting on negotiations or work is scheduled to start more than 2 months from now). - I will volunteer on at least 4 non-Scouting non-profit work projects.
Last year I worked once with Habitat for Humanity. I hope to continue doing that, at least once per quarter, to make it more of a habit.
Given, there are things I plan to do that aren’t on this list. However, these are the things I want the community-at-large to hold me accountable for and, potentially, to join me in completing. You can never have to many workout partners, Scout leaders, or Habitat volunteers after all.
So what do you resolve to change about your life in 2010? How do you plan to track progress towards your goals?
