So, it's now 2011, guys? And people were all listing it up about the best things of 2010 a few weeks ago but I missed that? And I rang in the new year by getting a terrible cold? Auld Lang Syne?
2010 was definitely an up-and-down year for me. In the end I was pretty happy to see it go, if only because I needed things to settle down a bit. No more moving! Not so much travelling! (Although I am going out of town this weekend, so that is not exactly meshing with the 2011 plan, but it's for a wedding, so I am happy about it.) I hope to one day not be afflicted with the soul-crushing, breath-stealing common cold virus that is currently keeping me down! (Fingers crossed!) And let's hear it for fewer people dying! (Seriously, I know that is a downer, but that was the main problem I had with 2010. Too many funerals.)
I know everyone makes resolutions in January and it is somewhat lame, not to mention discouraging for those who keep resolving unsuccessfully to do the same things every year. But I do think that resolution-making can be a positive experience, as it is always good to sit down and think about what you want out of life every once in a while. And actually, doing it on a year-by-year basis is a pretty decent short-term goal system.
So what do I want to accomplish in 2011? Well, to stay on topic, I'd like to read more. I've mentioned before that reading for a living sometimes hinders my reading for pleasure, and I've also mentioned that I plan to combat that with this year's 10 in 10 book club. I came across a friend's list on Facebook the other day wherein he listed all the books he had read in 2010, and I wished I had a list like that. So I'm going to make one. Pretty simple. I think just writing down what books I read and freeing myself from any obligation to write actual blog posts about them will help. I'll write about them if inspired, but if not, expect to see short posts that are basically for my own tracking purposes. Starting with this month's pick, Marching As to War by Pierre Berton, which I plan to start as soon as I've finished my current fiction pick, White Teeth by Zadie Smith. (I can read multiple books at once, but I avoid it if possible. I always risk abandoning one because I prefer another.)
I also want to write more. As in, not just spur-of-the-moment writing that I put up here (sorry), but an actual planned writing project. This is something I've always wanted to do, but I never seem to get started. I think because I am a pretty harsh critic and I would want whatever I wrote to be perfect. So I'm going to do my best to discard that attitude and acknowledge that whatever I write is going to be terrible at first, and just write it anyway. I'm thinking about looking up some writing exercises to help out with this, because it is a bit of a daunting task.
And finally, I will conform to the expected and cop to my last resolution as being the old fitness one. All I've seen this week on social media is complaints from gym-goers about the January resolutioners crowding the gym, and I sympathize, but still. I need to exercise more, so screw them. I'll go to the gym if I want to. I am going to set up a schedule for myself in the hope that structure with this will lead to structure with writing, reading, etc. and soon I'll be like those normal people with routines!
Oh, one last thing: I plan to gradually create an actual online presence. I am bizarrely skittish about this, even though I never say anything all that personal either on here or on twitter or on Facebook. Anyway, eventually I want to link all three of these things. I've started that already by linking my twitter account to this blog. Hopefully you all aren't too bored by it.
That's all for today. See you when I've finished the next book!
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