Happy New Year, all! As Garry mentioned, I've made a 'to-do' list every year since seventh grade. It began as a 'secret wish' list with some pretty dumb things on it, but soon turned into a list of goals. I never expect to accomplish everything (like any to-do list), but I'm happy if I get more than half done. I find it easier if I come up with very specific things--helps keep me on track.
So the one exception was 2008. I never did a to-do list this past year, and lo and behold, I got jack-sh*t done. So it's back to business as usual. For reference, I've transferred my old 2007 list of things to do to a privitized post.
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Travel
- Summer weekend trip to Lake Tahoe
- One long-weekend domestic trip: New Mexico, Portland, New Orleans/Texas, Hawaii, Yellowstone, OR DC area
- Visit LA at least 2x and go to Magic Mountain
- Visit (or camp at) Muir Woods, Mt. Tam, Bodega Bay, northern CA (Eureka or Shasta), and one California destination I've never heard of. Addition: Getaway to Sonoma.
- Fall 2009 trip - China/SE Asia, Japan, South America, Costa Rica, Western Australia OR Spain/Morocco
Health & Wellness
- Sleep at least 7 hours/night (before 12:30am on weeknights)
- Wear sunscreen daily, and lip balm for my perpetually chapped lips
- Move my bike from home (in LA) to the Bay Area
- Hike once a month.
- Conquer my asthma and my gimp knee (so I can ski by next winter)
- ...and get my weight back down to 120-125lbs., however that has to happen (gymming, walking, eating less).
- Take a self-defense class
Personal Projects
Sewing (skills): Learn one new technique every month, things like: install a zipper, read/execute a pattern, tailoring techniques such as darts, princess seams, etc., create a pattern, smocking and shirring, install interfacing, create pleats, Hong Kong seams, linings for anything, make a pocket, and dye fabric
Sewing (projects):
- Finish my fingerless gloves
- Alter the $5 sari dress and skirt that I bought at the Lotus Festival and never wore.
- Make a sundress out of the pretty batik I bought in Malaysia last year.
- Make an evening/cocktail dress out of the material I bought at Joann's + all the sewing ideas I've been collecting for the past few months
- Make an obi-style belt
Cooking:
- Organize recipes and start recording family favorites and newly inspired creations in a journal or binder.
- Master my slow-cooker so I don't starve when I start my new job
- Recipes to master:
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- The 'One Great Cookie' recipe for browned-butter cookies in the 2006 issue of Gourmet Magazine
- My coworker's famous chocolate-chip cookie recipe
- Addition: my old boss' wonderful recipe for blueberry scones
- A really great gingerbread cookie recipe
- Chili (this one was too tomato-y)
- The Google chef's recipe for madeleines
- Baked butterfish with miso glaze like they used to make in our cafeteria
- Flan!
Volunteering: Find one great organization/activity to commit to.
General Know-how:
- Learn about the import/export process and more about retail distribution
- Read some of those motivational books and start a learning journal of sorts.
Just for Fun:
- Taiko drumming classes.
- Organize and post my photos from my trip to Asia last year
- 3x the average traffic-per-post on my blog
- Use my new 40-min. commute to learn some things. Get Spanish-language and Chinese-language tapes.
- Work on an indie film. Bug former coworker Tony about producing his next movie OR get involved in a theater production (ask Annie).
- Film footage and piece together a 5-10 minute short of any kind.
- Work with my mom to translate my grandmother's life story, and interview my dad about his family history.
- Send out Christmas cards next year
- Take 1 class with Doc Wong, and learn how to drive stick shift.
- Mail out DVD copies of the play I produced 5 years ago to the cast/crew, which have been sitting on my desk for the past 3 years -___-
Professional
- Incorporate lessons learned from my last job. Take more responsibility for my career.
- Manage expectations and deliver on promises.
- Exceed my quarterly targets
- Be on time
- Respond to important e-mails within 2 hours and keep my inbox under 20 messages
- Find projects beyond the core role by Q2-3
- Get promoted
- Decide on B-school once and for all
Financial
- Don't buy any more clothing or home stuff until my birthday (in February).
- Pay off my car loan
- Read www.fool.com or other other educational resources once a week and take a couple seminars about investing. Learn about stocks and all that, because it's Greek to me now. And identify 3 areas to invest in.
- Donate at least 10% of my net earnings to church and some non-profits that are doing great work.
Spiritual, Personal Improvement, and Miscellaneous
- Develop a daily prayer life. Pray regularly for my daddy.
- Re-join a small group at church and go 2x/month
- Forgive and let go of some specific, debilitating things from my past
- Work on communication (synthsizing/clarity) and listening skills.
- Give up something that matters for someone who truly needs it
- Buy only clothing made of natural materials: cotton, linen, bamboo, leather, silk, wool. This will force me to get fewer things of higher quality, rather than synthetic blends like the cheap stuff from Forever 21 that pills after 2 wears.
- Clean out/reorganize my closet twice
- Read: The Far Pavilions, Malcom X's Autobiography, and at least 2 other novels
- Watch: After Life, Carnivale Season 1, Hellboy 1 and 2, Elizabeth 1 and 2, It's a Wonderful Life, Waking Life, Slumdog Millionaire, the Orphic Trilogy, the Decalogue, Brazil, M, Wild Strawberries
- Organize my mp3s and create a handful of playlists so I can start using my iPod again
- ...and the one thing that will make it all possible: STOP WASTING SO MUCH TIME. Spend less than 1.5 hours/day online--do less online shopping and find a way to blog more efficiently!