New Year, New Word, New Plan

You can't get where you're going unless you have some idea of where you are, which is why I'm taking a quick look at the past before talking about my plans for the future.

I wrote two posts at the beginning of 2010 that are very interesting for me to look back on now. The first is "A Letter To Cate".

And some dreams you don't even recognize as such yet - they'll be revealed along the way.

JOB - you know better. This isn't it. Fix it or move along.

The second post was my "Word of the Year" post, in which I chose effort.

This year will be about not just muddling through but also about making an "effort" to move in a direction that makes me happy.

When I wrote those two posts, going back to school and resigning from my job were nowhere on my radar. I had no idea how the second half of 2010 would play out. In fact, despite writing all about effort, I was probably anticipating a much safer route that included not leaving my job until I had found a new one or until my husband had decided we were relocating.

Now, I enter 2011 with not even a clue of where things are going. We still may relocate. Joe has told me to hold off looking for a new job until he has more of an idea about what's going on with his work situation. By the time this year wraps up, we could be living on another coast and I could be working in an entirely different field than the one I left last November.

With so much uncertainty ahead, I'm focusing on me. I'm not making a whole lot of resolutions, but I'm really throwing myself behind this year's word, better:

Main Entry: bet·ter
Pronunciation: \ˈbe-tər\
Function: adjective

Meaning: improved in health or mental attitude; of superior suitability, advisability, desirability, acceptableness; more attractive, favorable, or commendable; more advantageous or effective; improved in accuracy or performance
Synonyms: improved, finer, healthier, amend, advance, promote; reform, correct, preferable, surpassing
Related Words: good
Near Antonyms: worsen, decline, regress, inferior

Yes, this year, I'm going to focus on striving for better.

• better eating
• better exercise routine
• better wife
• better job
• better writer
• better marketer
• better friend
• better approach
• better reactions
• better attitude

Just generally better in everything I do. This will require both of my prior annual words, effort and focus. I'll need to prioritize and then make my very best attempt at the things I choose. But if I focus on doing those last three items, it should trickle into everything else.

I spent awhile yesterday thinking about resolutions and whether I planned to make any. All I wrote down was the following:

exercise + water - eating = weight loss
read 30 books
specific project success

So there we go! I wouldn't call those resolutions. Just a few specific areas in which I plan to be better. Not perfect, because I don't expect to ever be perfect. Just better.

I hope 2011 is kind to all of us and whatever dreams or plan you have for this year will happen!