2011: The Resolutions

I see that I spent very little time here on the blog in 2010. Frankly, I'm just glad it's over. On that note, let's take a look at some of the things I hope to get up to now that the calendar has flipped over to the hopefully friendlier 2011.

* Writing. Priority #1. Yes, I make this resolution every year, so I don't want to dwell on it too much, but I do want to spend (a lot) more time writing. I think I've found a new way of looking at it that should help me reach this goal, but we'll see. Fiction, blog posts, journal entries, emails, whatever. Words on paper or screen.

* Health. I've spent the past couple of months doing very little in the way of exercise in order to recover from shin splints and what was most likely a stress fracture in my left ankle. I'm incredibly pleased to report that I'm now pain-free and ready to get back in action. So I want to start doing some exercises to strengthen my lower legs so I can get back to walking and running this spring and avoid anymore repetitive stress injuries. And I want to keep in mind, when I do get back out there, that I need to take it slow. I think I originally got hurt by pushing myself to do more than I was ready for.

* Communication. I am, unfortunately, pretty bad about keeping in touch with friends, even those I consider pretty close. In the past few weeks, I've had the chance to catch up with a couple of very old friends, which made me realize how much I miss people. Facebook helps with this, but it's not a magic bullet by any means. I genuinely hate calling people on the phone, but email has always been a fantastic tool. I need to use it more, and hey! That can also help me with Priority #1 (above).

* Finances. Brandi and I are a little financially...undisciplined, I guess you could say, at times. We're not in danger of losing our house or anything like that, but it would be nice to get a little more organized and give ourselves a little more cushion. We're going to need a new car or two soon, and we'd like to get some new furniture and stuff like that. We've come up with some ideas together that should help with the discipline and organization. Another of our joint resolutions is to clear out some stuff we no longer need or want; selling whatever we're able to will help. I'll also be starting to do some freelance work soon, which should provide a small new income stream, which will be nice.

I really like the New Year holiday, but I honestly feel a sense of optimism this year that exceeds even what I usually have. I feel like 2011 is going to be a good one. If I can follow through on these resolutions, I see no reason why it should be anything else.