2011 goals

As I mentioned earlier, I've never been much of a new year's resolution kind of gal. But all of this turning-over-a-new-leaf talk has got me thinking about what sort of year I would like 2011 to be. 2010 was absolutely amazing and went by faster than I could have possibly imagined, probably because it included such memorable highlights as getting married

 Photograph by Toni Axelrod

and taking an amazing honeymoon trip to Japan.

And then there were all of those moments in between.

There were trips to Caumsett State Park in April,

and The Porches Inn at Mass MoCA in May.

Peach picking in August,

pickling in September,

and turning an entire bushel of tomatoes into sauce, also in September.

Plus, the weather kicked our collective asses with a very hot summer and then snowmageddon in December. And those are just the things I happened to have pictures of.

Thinking about the year ahead, there are lots of things that I would like to accomplish. Of course, I am accutely aware of the difference between wanting to do something and actually going ahead and doing it. So this year, instead of making a list of resolutions, I've gone ahead and written up some goals, messed around with Patrick's watercolors in an attempt to make it more cheerful, and taped the resulting document to the bookshelf directly next to my desk, where its colorful countenance can be a frequent reminder of what I should be working towards this year. And with the thought that posting it in this space will help hold me even more accountable, here they are, in all of their glory. I'm calling them my "accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative: 2011 goals":

1. Step out of my comfort zone more often - whether it be posting more about myself right here, or maybe letting people take my picture more often

2. Make at least one new friend - because I can't even remember the last time I did

3. See an article that I wrote published - print would be ideal, but I'll take online too

4. Find a new job - preferably in a museum, but I'll take a visual arts or cultural organization as well. If anyone has the inside scoop on any grant writing/development jobs in NYC, please do send it my way

5. Start a creative business - as of the end of January, I hope to be adding the rent of a shared studio space to my monthly bills, and will try to keep you all updated when I actually have something to report about how that's going to get turned into a business

6. Continue to build and improve my blog - add more features, try to attract some sponsors and continue to write about the stuff that I love

So, there you have it. Some goals to see my through 2011. I have to say, just posting these was a step towards #1, which I'm going take as evidence that I'm off to a good start. Now, what about all of you out there? Any goals/resolutions/determinations/etc., or are you satisfied with just going along and seeing what the new year brings?