Willkommen 2010 – Let’s Set Some Goals!

Monday, January 11th, 2010
Posted in Adventure by Vanessa

Wow we made it through another doozy of a year!  And lookie here, it’s a new year, yet again. Last year around this time, I wrote about Resolutions in Single Word Form.  Now it’s time to reflect, evaluate, and set some goals for 2010.

Looking back at 2009

My words for 2009 were Execute, Meaning and Fun.

Fun:  Despite the many difficulties of 2009, I have to admit I did have a lot of fun this past year.  From those warm spring and summer nights dancing with friends to really getting to know BigP and spending time with both him and Val! in Switzerland, I’d say the relationships I’ve enjoyed this year were the main reason it was so enjoyable.  Having BigP and Roger come to NYC and then sharing Texas and my family with them was absolutely special.  Tubing on the San Marcos River was just like stepping into carefree and comfortable old times.

Justin and I were able to share our home state with our friends Alex and Marisa in 2009; the fact that Fiesta was going on made this especially cool, although we were reminded of how unrelenting the heat can be practically year round. In April, we had the opportunity to take a group trip to Puerto Rico with some friends that turned out to be a lot of fun.  We also had the chance to host both friends and family for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners plus we were able to spend time with our families in Texas in December – one of the most enjoyable trips back home I’ve had in recent years.  We spent the majority of the late summer through fall really delving into nature, whether it was a car trip, camping trip, or hotel overnight.  We got out and really experienced the beauty of autumn in the northeast this year – something I’ve wanted to do since moving up to New York.  Other awesome, fun-filled events include the birth of my first little cousin, my Mom having an important birthday at which a lot of friends and relatives came out to celebrate, and Justin and I hosting some incredibly cool couch surfers.

Execute:  From writing songs (and finishing one), to working on short stories and really delving into my new job, I think my execution this year was none too shabby.  I also wrote some travel articles for the Examiner website (as lame as I think that site is), which are pretty decent, though I could’ve written more and I would prefer it if they were being hosted in a more meaningful place, which brings me to my next word.

Meaning:  This is a constant search, a never-ending struggle, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.  Some of my entries from last year are good testaments to the fact that I am constantly searching for meaning, self, and fulfillment.  This is just part of the human condition.  I am not sure if I am any closer to finding meaning now as I was a year ago, though in some ways maybe I am.  I frequently find old journals I’ve started and put down again – most of them are from 2004 to present, and they all share the same themes.  At times, I’ve glanced through journals as old as 1994 to find that not much has changed.

Your Words

Sheila, Thao, and Mike participated in setting goal words for 2009.  I asked them if they felt they successfully executed their words and in what ways. What would they have done differently? Given that there was just over a month left in 2009 at the time I asked the question, I wondered what they would do to send off their 2009 word selections with enthusiasm.

Sheila’s words for 2009 were Create, Excitement, and Enjoy:

so I really thought about this for a moment…

Sheila and Brennan

I think that this last year has been an epic journey of the unknown with peaks of flurried wonders and anxiousness. I have enjoyed being pregnant but even more so I have loved every moment my dearest little boy entered my life. I would say the best creation would be him but also of a wonderful love filled house with a complete feeling that I thought would never happen.

When I wrote create I was thinking of all the cute, wonderful little things that I might crochet or sew for Brennan or you or the family but in turn it has been that he is here and now I get to fill his thoughts with wonderment and knowledge. My excitement level sure has jumped ten fold. I have been on the edge of my seat for the unknown things that we go through nowadays with Brennan. When you figure him out he changes. He has 2 bottom teeth now and is about to crawl…I really enjoy this type of excitement too other than just having the single/married type of fun that comes without having a child.

One word that sums up the year 2009 was ‘enjoy’. I have enjoyed all the fantastic visits from you and the rest of the family. I enjoy every night I get to put Brennan to bed and he rests his head against my chest sucking on his thumb and buh buh’ing to get first syllables out and to hear himself. I enjoy my trips to SA to visit with Nanny and others.

So now we come to what I would have changed…hm.

Leading up to 2009 I would have not charged anything on my credit card since I hate paying bills and would like to spoil myself, Justin and Brennan. I would have eaten a little better (I am on the right track now, I promise).

To send the words that I chose off for eternity isn’t something I want to do. What I want is to build on them though. I would like to use them for the building blocks for the years to come. How is that!?

Do you wanna know my words for 2010? How about Relax, Focus and Learn :) LOVE YOU!!

Thao’s words for 2009 were Research, Action, and Celebrate:

Hey Ness!

Thao and me

Thanks for following up. I had forgotten about this but I’m happy to report that I’ve successfully executed 2 of the 3 items: Research. and Action. Did a ton of research when on my projects, switching jobs, choosing a church, and finding a coop. So many accomplishments but not much celebration (except for baptism)!

Still need to get together for karaoke to celebrate the new job and sing ‘reunited and it feels so good’. Then once the COOP goes through, I can throw a big loud housewarming too!

Thank you so much for reminding me!

Please post a follow-up for yourself on your blog too! I’d love to read it.

Mike’s words for 2009 were Explore, Complete, and Connect.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a written response from Mike to tell you just how well his goals were achieved, but from conversing with him, I know he did very well.  I also know he’s selected his 2010 words already.  Mike traveled quite a bit this year, visiting New York, Chicago, Italy and Ireland.  He also worked on music and photography.  Probably where he put the most effort was in connecting.  He met quite a number of new people through the power of the internet and made some serious headway in connected with old friends (myself included, I am happy to say).  Hopefully he’ll share his thoughts about his 2009 results and his goals for 2010.

2010 Goal Setting

In deference to the man who gave me the three word idea, I am quoting his 2010 blog where he makes this point:  “I set goals around these three words. I build deadlines and projects around these words.”   What I am taking from this and doing differently this year is that it’s not just enough to keep the words in mind and lackadaisically let them lead you from activity to activity.  I really should be more proactive about my words.  I am going to set goals and tackle them like I do with my work – as true projects with deliverables and timelines.  Sure, it doesn’t sound quite as heady or fun, but maybe I will get some of the results I want.  I am also considering setting up a separate project page on this site to track the status of my goals for the year, although that may be taking it a bit far. ;)  I guess creating urgency and accountability is really what I am after with this.

That being said, my 2010 words are Creativity. Sharing. Fun.
Yes, I am including fun yet again because I have to be honest – it doesn’t make sense not to live for fun (to paraphrase Smash Mouth). ;)  And I realize my words are pretty lighthearted this year.  I figure I may as well spend that last year of my 20s focusing on stuff that’s not so serious. :)

My big initiatives for 2010 are pretty varied.  I’d like to execute my 7 deadly sins photography project this year (the one I dreamed up about 10 years ago), create a video miniseries for which I have the first short installment written, write/record a few new songs, and travel.  Of course, traveling is was and always shall be on my list of things to do.  This year we’re planning a little weekend trip to Ottawa to ski on the Rideau Canal, a group trip to Puerto Rico or somewhere in the Caribbean, and possibly a honeymoon in South Africa or Argentina (although Europe is always a possibility).  I’d also like to go to Switzerland and Germany, but I am not sure it will be possible.  The biggest event of the year for Justin and I will be our wedding in October.  We have 0 details firmed up, but that’s what part of this year is for, after all.  Some other things I think would be fun to do this year include learning some Spanish, taking a dance class (and just dancing more in general), and maybe delving into acting/public speaking courses.  My biggest fear of the year is turning thirty.  oy vey.

Share away

I hope you guys share your words for the year, resolutions if you’ve set them, goals, hopes, and whatever else comes to mind.  Chris Brogan, from whom I got this idea, has some good advice on how to help you set your words for the year.