The first Sunday of the month, the pastor at Cornerstone Church said a few things that made me think. It was about the importance of starting the new year off well, and even the importance of how that first week could set the tone for the rest of the year. While it's taken me some time to put my 2011 list together, I still think it's still a worthwhile exercise. Some nuggets of wisdom from the sermon:

• Strive to build a house with wisdom, on foundation of understanding, and fill the rooms with knowledge.
• How do we use our time? Are we properly assessing our options before making decisions, thinking through our commitments and priorities, and living a reflective life so that we can live our lives purposefully?
• Do we finish what we started, or do our lives become a pattern of abandoned endeavors?
• Does my life, as I'm living it, reflect my priorities and principles?

I dislike vague new year's resolutions like 'drink more water' because I think it's harder to keep them/easier to rationalize them. I prefer to write down very specific things I'd like to do/accomplish in a year, things I can check off.  But I also want to be sure that each thing I'm committing to paper reflects how I'd like to be living my life beyond the progress I've already made in the last few years.

Travel

• Asia: Visit Japan and/or one other Chinese province I haven't been (Sichuan, Xinjiang, Tibet, Fujian)
• Exotic: The Maldives (before they disappear), Costa Rica, Spain/Morocco, OR Greece/Italy/Turkey
• Domestic: Baltimore/DC Area, New Mexico, New York City, Austin, Los Angeles at least once/quarter (and visit Magic Mountain)
• Local: One summer weekend in Tahoe, one camping trip to the Desolation Wilderness OR Point Reyes

Spiritual/Personal Growth

• Start journaling again (at least 1x/week)
• Continue to pray for others, do quiet time at least 2x/week (better than never...)
• Find a smallgroup to attend 2x/month
• Give 10%

Health/Wellness/Lifestyle

• GET MORE SLEEP. Sleep less than 7 hours no more than once in any given workweek. This should force me to limit random Internet surfing and pointless online window-shopping to less than 2 hours/day.
• Get serious exercise at least twice/week, with one outdoorsy outing per month. Strengthen my bum knee to 20 pounds resistance
• Get a new personal computer
• Get work e-mail inbox to 20 or less at the end of each day
• Move to an apartment with a bigger kitchen, a dishwasher, some space to entertain, and preferably in-unit laundry.
• Take a self defense class
• Send out Christmas cards
• Attend at least one concert in a large venue and one concert in a small venue
• Learn to drive stick shift
• Find a new doctor and schedule a physical check-up. Find a new dentist.
• Finances: Get all accounts straightened out, learn more about investing, and INVEST!

Style

• Limit ModCloth spending (I have a number in mind but don't want to publish it) and buy at least one non-ModCloth item per month (if buying at all).
• Buy clothing made of at least 50% natural materials (wool, silk, cotton, tencel, hemp, linen), exceptions for manmade materials of high quality, and limited to no more than 1-2 pieces per month
• Buy: One serious designer piece (preferably Alexander McQueen), one pair of decent sunglasses, a pair of classic black pumps, and a decent new wallet/purse for everyday
• Do 1 major closet cleaning per season (starting with January), including clothing and shoe repairs, dry cleaning, and "re-imaginations and re-purposings"
• Develop a more cohesive style and be brutal about what I buy/keep in rotation

Personal Projects