Looking Back, Looking Forward

If you know me well, you know that I do NOT make New Year's Resolutions.  Ok, call them what you will, but I do NOT make the traditional list of "items I WILL accomplish" that is supposed to start with a well-intentioned BANG on January 1 every year.

I truly believe that doing so is actual personal sabotage.

That doesn't mean I don't make goals.  So, what is the difference? My goals don't necessarily have anything to do with the drop of the New Year's ball. They are year-round, life-style changes, whereas most New Year Resolutions fizzle out (the success rate isn't great).

Check out this post from last year.

Looking back, how'd I do?

1. "Thank you".  Yep.  It's a natural habit of mine to vocalize my thanks.  Would I like to be a better thank-you note writer?  Sure.  Will I?  I don't know.  I am however sitting down to write out Christmas "thank-you's" with the kiddo's before Christmas break ends.  It's a start.
2. "Time with friends".  Check.
3. "Healthy Body".  It's really no secret that Beachbody has made a tremendous impact on my physical and financial life.
4. "Daily Prayer".  I still need to work on this one.  It will be a life-long struggle.
5. "Write".  I said hello to a weekly gig at PittsburghMom.com this year.  
6. "Morning space".  Nope.  I still don't get along with mornings.
7. "Move in".  Yep.  Dining Room and Living Room got painted, garage demo'd, new attic playroom set up, kitchen overhauled, media/workout room organized.

So, do I have any plans for 2011? Yes.  Will I start them on January 1?  No.

1. Accomplish P90X.  I'm doing so with over 20 other people.  My Beachbody business has grown leaps and bounds and thus, along with P90X, I'll continue to work this particular "love" as a real job.
2. Daily Prayer.  I'm doing so by meeting for prayer one morning a week with two very special women in my life.
3. Write.  I'm continuing with Pittsburgh Mom and will continue to hunt down new opportunities.  God has given me a new idea this year, and I've already contacted two writer friends to see if they will join me.  I would also like to get Cuppa Jo, and some older versions of that blog, made into books this year.
4. Mornings.  I think, with the addition of P90X, I may need to get mornings kicking.  Ugh.
5. Move in.  Time to tackle my bedroom (paint), create an outdoor patio space, and print and hang family photos.  Plus, I'd like to complete a photo book of our move in 2009.  I won a free photo book from Vistaprint - time to get it going.
6. Pay off.  I got a good amount of debt paid down this year.  For 2011, I'm targeting a specific card.

That's it.  

Notice that three of the desires I have, include involving other people in the task.  There's nothing like asking others to join you to really get the party started.

What are your YEAR-LONG plans?