Catching Up On New Years Resolutions

In reflecting on my reflecting of 2009, I looked back at the resolutions I made a month ago and can't believe the progress I made. I joked recently to a friend that January brought so much positive change and sheer brute force that I've flown through a lot of these. January was one of the best months of my whole life. I felt in control of my path, I got back on track and back to work. I received a paycheck again. I swooned and awed and danced little happy dances in my apartment when no one was watching celebrating life.

Nonetheless, one of the things I want to do in 2010 is sharing of my goals and the things I work on behind closed doors to make things happen.

First a note. My mom requires my sisters and I submit our New Year's Resolutions to her in-person, by phone or email by 11PM EST on New Year's Eve. No exceptions. I have dialed mine in from Cairo to Buenos Aires. My mom puts our Resolutions on paper and in a bottle in the back of the freezer to look at again the next year. I'm being bold sharing my resolutions with you here hoping that this mix of self-determination will lead to fulfilling my "official resolutions" for the year.

I develop many more goals as the year goes by, but these, well these are the starting point for the adventure and state of mind I wish to be in for 2010.

My resolutions (as I wrote them to my mom):

1) Adventure: Go skydiving, get a tattoo, visit Japan, learn to drive a stick (carry over from last year), visit one state I haven't been to yet.

2) Professional: Attend one conference I haven't been to before, give at least 10 talks on "cause-filled living," publish at least 10 articles in magazines or longer form blog posts (separate from repurposing content), blog every day for one month. Write a book and get it published. In general write more, publish more, continue to build a brand around "cause-filled living."

3) Personal: Be a good friend. Be on time with birthday cards. Make time to connect with people in real life who I meet and connect with online. Don't be scared of the good stuff and embrace what life throws at me.

4) Volunteer and Philanthropy: Volunteer at least 10 hours every month. Donate at least 10% of what I earn in 2010. Track both extensively to share with friends and on my blog.

5) Health and Wellness: Teach a spinning class (this is multi-step - get certified, get a part-time gig teaching, make the music mix, teach a class). **To note I was actually going to take the certification class last weekend in January and ended up at Davos instead. Always had a love of spinning and yoga and thought this would be a fun challenge. Go vegetarian for a month. Go on the wagon for a month. Do at least one 10-day cleanse. Attend a retreat (spiritual or spa for one week).

What were your resolutions and how are they holding up after 30 days? Refresh yourself to hit February with gusto. Did you ever stop to think maybe 2010 is YOUR year and the only person stopping you from realizing it is you? Sometimes we gotta get out of our own damn way to make our own dreams come true.