2011 Resolutions

My resolutions for 2010 involved a lot of reading, improving my cooking repertoire, improving my photography repertoire, and having fun in the present. In goal accounting for 2010, 2 were successful and 2 not. Except for the reading goal, the other three were well outside my comfort zone.  I forgot my statement for the resolutions in 2009.

Useful resolutions to me are things I realistically can and will accomplish applying moderate effort. Making too hard of a challenge will result in giving up too quickly. Making too easy of a challenge will result in doing something I would do anyway.

The successful resolutions only required moderate effort. The failures required me to move outside my comfort zone. So for 2011, I ought to come up with some resolutions more encouraging my strengths than discouraging for likely failures.

1. Complete unfinished novel series. In 2007 I started several novel series, but the 2008 and 2009 resolutions conspired to make these books less than ideal. I made it to book 4 of Harry Potter, book 4 of the Wheel of Time, book 7 of the Sword of Truth. It is time I finished off these series. Especially to move on to start others.
   • Harry Potter books 4-7 (4)
   • Wheel of Time books 4-13 (#14 due early 2012) Number four was unbearable. Giving up this series.
   • Sword of Truth books 9-11 (3)
   • Ender books 4, 6-11 (7)
   • Total: 24 14
2. Complete the first 25 of the BBC The Big Read Top 100 (from 2003). This the real list, not the Internet Meme one which has been passed around for years and multiply modified in the process. The list is:
   1. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
   2. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
   3. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
   4. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
   5. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
   6. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
   7. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
   8. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
   9. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
   10. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
   11. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
   12. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
   13. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
   14. Total: 13
3. No more complaining about Blackboard, Inc. Too many of my blog posts, Twitter, and Facebook updates are about Blackboard. Most of that is negative. Going forward it needs to be positive or constructive. There are lots I dislike about the company and products but to little productive effect.
4. Attend more social events when invited. All too often I listen to the butterflies in my stomach and stay home. In 2010 I did better than normal at attending parties, potlucks, etc. Seems like I went to about 50% of them when I did not have a conflict.
5. Go away more. Almost of all of my out-of-town trips in 2010 were all back to visit family. I need to get out more and do something fun. So much stuff to do when I am sitting at home on my recliner.

There are some other intentions like praying and learning the Baha’i Writings, being available for helping Mom, getting healthier, try dating, etc. Instead of making a resolution, I’ll just try to keep them in mind.

Followup